Aftermath
by omegafire17
Summary: Following the events of the Spirit World, the Huntik team's members - current and former - have taken this time to recover, as well as adjust to several changes. Several files regarding their activities are available.
1. Zhalia

****Disclaimer:** ** Don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers, nor any of it's characters.

 ** **Rating:** ** T

 **As the summary said, basically a follow-up to my Huntik Book. Enjoy**

* * *

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

Hmm, looks like he might be fashionably late.

Zhalia let out a breath, already thinking in her mind how he'd appear, apologize, and then- mmh, a lot of things could happen after that. Adjusting against the chair, she waited in the soft desk light, fixated on her book – he wouldn't let her down.

Minutes passed...

Outside on the balcony, a glow began to appear - she quickly noticed the energy looked familiar, before a figure stepped out of it.

Dante slowly stepped up to the window, gently tapping the glass three times.

Letting out a slight 'Heh', Zhalia put her book down and got up, opening the sliding door. "On time?" she asked lightly, crossing her arms. "You could shake things up every now and then."

He hummed, stepping inside as she closed the sliding door behind him. "Well there's no doubt I could, but I'd hate to keep you waiting" Dante answered, entirely soft.

"A good answer" she snarked, slowly walking back with a small lip curve, returning to her chair. "Why am I not surprised?"

He chuckled, sitting down in another chair at the same time – in the process, he let out a breath. "I'm fine" he answered, holding up a hand after she'd noticed + raised an eyebrow. "That spell I used; it takes a lot out of you."

"I thought you said it was safe?"

"Yeah, but similar to Nexual, the energy drain is costly - and not only does it drain the users, it needs precision thoughts from the target, ie me, I'll tell you that much."

Hmm; Zhalia adjusted a bit, remembering their prior conversation. "For a first attempt outside of testing, it went well" she whispered, a little gentle. "For a moment though, I might've thought that was Umbra, with the colors that appeared."

Dante didn't answer, merely glanced downward, but his little smile said it all - it made her smile a bit, but mostly she just sat there, enjoying the moment for a few seconds. After an appropriate amount of time, she plucked a brownie off the small tray, tossing it to him... Dante caught it easily, but soon had a raised eyebrow, much the same way she'd done.

"The kids kinda went a little overboard today" she said, slightly playful. "We had leftovers."

A small hum, then Dante gave her a side-smile. "They're hardly kids anymore" he pointed out, playing along.

"So?"

They shared a little laugh, after which Dante started nibbling on his brownie - Zhalia settled against her chair, content simply to watch him in general, both enjoying this comfortable silence. It might sound boring as you'd expect, but it wasn't so bad in practice, even as she got herself used to them. Minutes went by while Dante finished up, and she- well, she made sure not to start thinking too much; it wouldn't do to get flustered over anything that might not even happen.

"Well" Dante breathed, pretty light. "I have to say I'm a little nervous."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Zhalia looked straight at him. "You?" she asked, tone saying it all.

"Yeah" he continued, shrugging a bit. "I mean, I don't think I've ever been invited into a woman's bedroom before."

"'Invited'?"

"Okay, 'walked in on', yet still" he admitted, looking at her evenly-

-probably to gauge her reaction.

Zhalia let out a breath again – outwardly, she looked fine, but her heart's beating faster at his mere mention of bedroom. She's certain Dante could tell this somehow, and is gradually-yet-gently coaxing her the way he always did.

"It's uh, a bedroom second" she admitted, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "More of a study first."

"I kind-of figured that part" he whispered, much softer.

"...I know" she whispered back, a little of the same before she slowly rose - Dante watched the entire time as she stepped closer, right to the side of his chair, while 'trying' for an arms-crossed look.

A little smile: "I was wondering when you might start with this" he teased.

Tentatively, Zhalia balanced upon the arm of his chair, one hand upon the upper woodwork of the back. "Let's call it my reaction to your overdoing 'on time'" she breathed, a little sly.

A hum to go with the smile, then Dante slowly leaned up, just a bit - his hand moved faster, touching her cheek gently. Despite being used to this, it didn't stop her heart from beating faster, but there's something comforting about the feeling. He waited even as she moved closer, before Zhalia closed the distance, sending small rushes of warmth through her body. Well, that wasn't the only response; the little things Dante did with her chin were good too, fingers brushing over there. She found it wasn't unlike when he'd lifted her chin with a finger, back in the Spirit World... still, she didn't linger, pulling back after five seconds.

After what seemed to be a micro-second of confusion, Dante knew instantly that she's teasing him.

"A little shy tonight, are we?" he asked, smile saying it all.

Her only answer to shrug innocently. "Sometimes I start off small, work my way up" Zhalia answered, mild. "Can't say the same for you."

Dante raised an eyebrow. "That's actually my entire operating method for you" he mused, but smirking.

"Isn't."

"Is."

Zhalia could barely keep from smiling big, even laughing, but refused to give in. "Isn't, Dante" she teased back.

Dante actually had a moment where he 'twitched', from suppressed laughter, but only a moment. "Alright, have it your way, Zhalia" he said mildly, arms crossed, eyes closed.

She had to cover her mouth briefly, but kept a little smirk.

"Keep that up though, and you might make it sound like I do big things regularly" Dante answered, humming. "Such as trying to get you into my lap, for instance."

Zhalia hitched, nearly wobbling off the chair's arm before she steadied, and heart pounding... it took a few seconds, a hand briefly over her heart, but she looked at Dante again (who remained unfazed). "And then of course, you say something like that" she spoke, more uneasy, "Something you know is gonna make my heart race."

Dante cracked an eye open, smile soft.

She sighed, but playfully exasperated. "And also on purpose, as a way to get me to loosen up" she continued, more soft.

"Would you prefer the alternative?" he asked gently.

She didn't answer, but had a good idea...

"Honestly Zhalia, if it isn't with words, it's classically cliché 'incidents' that tend to occur during situations" he whispered, looking straight at her. "Sure, I could get you to gradually open up, but then we'd get so caught up in talking, perhaps kissing, that we might fall out of this chair... with one of us on top of the other."

Her cheeks were hot. "You're making that up" Zhalia retorted faintly, having to keep herself from mumbling, "There's no way either of us would be 'that' into things."

Dante looked at her evenly.

"Well, this early anyway."

"You never know" he answered, still gentle. "Still, you're right; I wouldn't allow something like that to happen."

"Because I'm not comfortable enough?" she asked, lip curving. "That I wouldn't be able to handle such situations?"

"Did I say that?" Dante asked, before shaking his head. "No, I didn't; you can handle a lot of things, Zhalia. I simply want to make sure you take your time."

A moment, before she moved closer... slowly, she brushed her hand over his bangs.

"You have, Dante" Zhalia breathed, soft. "You're always making sure that we move at my pace."

His smile basically warmed her heart, no matter her instinctive reactions to that – she continued to brush that hand over his hair, before leaning all the way down again. Dante met her lips head-on, not even having to hear her say that she's grateful; this kiss was saying all that, among other things. One hand touched her shoulder + neck, teasing the tips of her hair- of course he was doing that, as usual. She mostly let him, focusing on the kiss itself, but feeling herself starting to heat up (in the good way), if low-key.

…

"Things are going well for the team?"

Zhalia paused a moment, adjusting Dante's trenchcoat, which lay draped over her shoulders. "Of course they are, Dante" she whispered, very near his lap. "Haven't our mission reports said that?"

"That's not what I meant" Dante answered, mild.

"I know" she continued, glancing up. "Sophie misses Lok of course, but she's glad to see him and Cathy working with their father again via their occasional chats, along with Sandra's happiness – Cathy's also healing, though she gets moments even now, but being home is no small comfort. Den is pushing himself, trying to get acclimated to his new confidence booster, and I think still working on Medusa. Cherit is well, Cherit, except a ton more excitable... but that's understandable, given we found his home and everything, so we only see him half the time for now."

"Of course, Zhalia."

She glanced back down. "You guessed all that easily" she stated, a little playful. "You're only making me say it to loosen me up more."

"Well I did guess, but it's still nice to hear" Dante whispered, close. "And that is a perk, which you knew the moment I asked, but you're still going along with."

She slowly brushed her fingers over his cheek. "And of course" Zhalia whispered back, "you figured I'd think like that, which is why you asked."

His smile got a little crooked, "I don't always think _that_ far ahead, Zhalia" he breathed mildly. "Sometimes I just go with my gut, and hope for the best."

"I'm aware, but I was teasing" she breathed, slightly closer- he just kept smiling.

"Well then" Dante whispered, before leaning forward... but his kiss touched her neck.

Zhalia nearly gulped, heart beating faster – not his first time teasing there, but it still made her feel 'the rush', even as she looked at him. Dante met her gaze evenly, just as they remained how they were, her breathing a little heavier.

"When you do things like that" she breathed, shifting a bit. "How will I ever know if you're seriously hinting things?"

He seemed a bit surprised, before glancing to the side for a bit. "Well- I'm not sure yet, Zhalia" he admitted, moving a hand across her body, enticing her to move even closer. "I haven't thought that far ahead, knowing it's gonna take awhile before you're comfortable enough with the tease... let alone wanting to start getting serious."

"Being comfortable with it, and being able to handle it are two different things" she pointed out.

He looked at her a moment. "Fair enough" Dante breathed, a little more serious, "but Zhalia- does that mean you think you could handle a small step up? Want to do so? Or both?"

Despite her cheeks heating up, Zhalia recognized what he's doing. "How small are we talking about?"

He looked at her for a bit, then started to lean forward, she responding – the kiss lasted a second or two before he pulled back, slightly. "If it were purely up to me, the next step up in that affection, at least" Dante whispered, she moving in response... "At most, having us physically snuggle."

This time she really did gulp (somewhat) at the image of them laying side-by-side and/or 'on' each other... but her reaction wasn't purely on the idea; it's also that, just a little, the idea appealed to her.

Dante pulled back, eyes closed. "And right about now, I expect us to go back to talking about the team" he said, like nothing happened.

Yeah, their usual routine.

"Not quite, Dante."

His eyes opened, slightly surprised – her mouth twisted, testing how she is internally, even as he looked at her. Zhalia spent a few seconds doing this, before she looked back: "I'm not sure what's come over me" she added, slightly playful, yet mostly serious, "but apparently I don't need a breather right now."

An eyebrow raised, before Dante smiled. "Every now and then, you surprise me that way" he answered softly, watching as she rose from the chair. "I swear you get more and more comfortable every day."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Dante" she told him, mild again, before she slowly took off the trenchcoat from her shoulders (just holding it now). "Now... get on the bed."

He actually leaned back, blinking several times; quite the statement for him.

"You heard me" Zhalia added, even surprising herself, that she'd said that without any trouble; weird. "Get on, and lay down. It sounds crazy even to me, but nothing's changed."

Several seconds passed as he digested that... then Dante smirked, standing up. "Well I'll be, Zhalia" he said, completely mild as well, remaining in place for now, "You've gone from shy to confident in zero-to-sixty, and said that of all things, even if it's casual in context – have we switched personalities or something?"

"Get over there before I drag you."

He chuckled. "That I'd like to see."

They said nothing more as Dante walked over, by himself for the moment... she watched, but started to feel her sudden burst of confidence draining away. Zhalia briefly wondered if she'd gone crazy, having said everything she did, but obviously she's now committed to this – and not entirely opposed to the idea, despite her returning embarrassment. It wasn't as bad as she thought though, as while her heart-rate's up, it wasn't crazy out-of-control. That thought gave her a small degree of satisfaction, before she saw Dante finish up, now half-laying on her bed- he glanced in her direction.

Heh... yeah, her turn now, though she put his trenchcoat down first.

Her waning burst of confidence continued as she stood up, getting closer- recognizing this, Zhalia powered through before her nervousness could incapacitate her. Dante remained how he was, even as her last burst got her to lay down, arms free. He then slowly lowered himself until he was fully laying down, arms free too, just looking at her from a foot away. Zhalia felt all this from the moving bed contours, but for the most part, her gaze remained down, trying to calm herself.

When she finally looked up again, she saw Dante's look – a little soft, but mostly intent.

"What- what is it?"

He tilted his head slightly. "I'm trying to decide what level of surprising this is" he admitted, faint.

She didn't move. "So, despite you playing it off, you were affected" Zhalia whispered, very slightly teasing before it faded; his lip curved slightly. "Well uh... I'm surprised by what I said too. It wasn't really like me."

"I wonder about that."

Her heart started beating faster, wondering what he's about to say.

Dante paused. "Above all else, Zhalia, you do what needs to be done" he breathed gently. "It's something I admire about you (her cheeks heated slightly), and maybe some part of that pushed yourself to make this step. Either because you wanted to, or possibly for your own sake, as you know your own struggle as well as I do."

Zhalia thought about that for a bit, before her hands slowly reached – Dante moved as her hands snaked up his arms, resting on his shoulders, after which he slowly returned the favor. Never looking away, she then moved her legs closer, Dante's jolting slightly as he got the idea. Then he started to move, slowly + gently pulling her forward, where she didn't resist... she almost-imperceptibly hitched upon contact, but that fell beneath the slow warmth, curling against him. In return, his hands moved around her back, moving in very small circles as the long seconds passed, that managing to ease her.

"Maybe" she whispered, slowly drawing herself even closer. "I guess I'll figure it out later – right now, I'm just getting the first time reactions out of my system."

"Well, keep the good ones around, Zhalia."

"Heh."

…

Zhalia just listened to her own breathing, focused on it to keep herself calm, and partly to enjoy this without restriction. Laying there, hands gently moved up and down her back, in a steady, regular pattern – she knew Dante was facing her back to do so.

"Zhalia?"

"Yes, Dante?"

A moment where he moved closer. "I think I might have an idea, for that 'want to be intimate' signal" he whispered, close enough that she felt it on her neck, making a sound. "Would you mind if I tested it?"

She turned her head slightly, but her lip curved. "Do what you have to do" Zhalia repeated to him, slightly teasing before it faded. "Just don't linger."

"Mmh."

Several seconds passed, then Dante moved closer from behind... she could tell he's inches away from her...

When his lips touched her neck, she restrained the urge to hitch, barely. However, his next action – light nibbling – made that restraint impossible to achieve; luckily he's as good as his word.

"There" he breathed, focusing on the back motions now. "That should be a signal, for both of us if you'd like."

Zhalia needed a few seconds, panting slightly, but she slowly turned onto her back (his hands moved out from underneath) – she could feel her cheeks heating up. After a few moments, it started to fade away though, especially when she turned onto her other side, facing Dante, who was intently curious about her reaction.

"If I were to give you that signal right now" she whispered, slowly breathing out. "How would you react?"

Dante looked at her a moment, before his gaze went to her hand, both of his slowly covering it- his mouth made little motions. "Well, I'd be surprised" he admitted, faint-but-gentle, "It'd be a fairly important step you're taking Zhalia, and though I might not mind, I'd want to make sure you're truly willing."

Her lip curved, fingers moving against his.

"If you wanted to do a single step up, something relatively small and go from there, I'd probably go with it myself" he continued, before his mouth twitched. "Anything bigger though-"

"-and you'd think I'd gone insane."

Dante slowly chuckled. "No, but I'd be worried about you" he breathed, gentle and a little relieved, "Wondering about that seems more of your thing, trying to rein yourself in."

"Heh" Zhalia breathed, resting her head more. "You're right about that."

He leaned toward her, very close, kissing her with all softness, which she managed to return as warmth went through her. This continued as Dante's hands touched her shoulders, Zhalia moving her own down his arms, both of them rubbing in place for certain spots. It seemed to go on for a full minute before they pulled away, close enough that they could feel each other's breath, while Dante of course didn't prolong this. Still, his grip on her shoulders continued, as did her little movements up/down his arms, breathing a little heavier...

"Before we sleep, should I get off the bed?" he whispered to her-

-"No" she breathed, not opening her eyes. "Just stay with me, Dante."

"You're sure?"

"Of course."

/

 _The next morning_

Zhalia stirred, half-aware that she's awake, before that faded and she began to open her eyes. Something didn't feel right though, but what was it- wait, last night, she tried to remember...

Dante.

Slowly, she used her senses, and found he wasn't laying in bed with her.

While the thought of that + last night caused her heart to beat faster, she slowly lifted herself up, adjusting to the brighter lighting. The carefully-arranged covers on her other side briefly caught her attention before she swept the room, finding Dante seated in a chair, writing down in what saw was a Logosbook. He didn't look over as his lip curved: "Good morning."

She slowly went 'heh', sitting all the way up. "Isn't this the situation where I'm supposed to ask 'did we do it'?" Zhalia mused.

Dante gave her a look, but his lip remained curved like before. "I _think_ it is, but you and I both know we didn't" he said mildly, "We didn't do anything near that level of things."

"Of course" she added, before chuckling quietly, seeing that while her heart's beating faster, she didn't feel at all embarrassed- maybe she's still waking up, yet she could use it. "But isn't it another cliche that when asked such a question, the guy doubts himself, trying to figure out _if_ they did, and panicking a bit until the woman relieves his anxiety?"

He just smirked a bit. "Are you gonna list cliches all morning, Zhalia?" Dante asked playfully, making her start to shake, "Because while it's true, it's not in my nature to go through that whole spiel- it'd be downright uncharacteristic in fact."

Zhalia couldn't take it, but she's still holding a fist to her mouth, letting chuckles rack her frame- it didn't help when Dante's composure broke, laughing too.

 _"Uh, Zhalia?"_

That stopped both of them, considering the question came from outside her door - "Den" Zhalia breathed, looking at it.

 _"Either I'm hearing things, or that's Dante laughing – is he there in your study with you?"_

She slowly sighed, figuring this is a heck of a time - she could play it off, but Den would still be suspicious. Then when Dante inevitably reappeared and hung out with them, he'd get this smug expression when given the chance- perhaps not say anything to Sophie or Cherit, but he'd know.

So why not?

Getting off the bed, Zhalia slowly walked toward the door, opening it wide- Den was surprised, but quickly looked at her. "See for yourself" she said easily, arms crossed.

Just as he looked, Dante raised a hand, quite at ease. "Hey there, Den."

"Hey Dante" Den replied, then turned toward her with a raised eyebrow. "Knowing you, this isn't what it might look like, especially since you're not at all embarrassed" he continued, getting a little smile.

"Perfectly."

Dante hummed, stepping up beside them. "Yeah, especially since I only just arrived" he added, "I hate to impose, but-"

Den laughed. "If it's you, Dante, it's not imposing" he said mildly, "I would think you'd know that."

In answer, Zhalia pushed his shoulder, which got both him and Dante chuckling. "Definitely improving on the snark, Den" she said, approving but similarly amused. "Though your timing could use work."

"What about it?" he asked, a little confused.

"You're being nearby a minute ago."

"How is that Den's fault?" Dante asked, subtly teasing, "He didn't even know I was here."

"Yeah, Zhalia, how?" Den questioned, smirking

She chuckled. "Oh look, now I'm being double-teamed" she said a little airily, to which both guys started laughing. "Joy."

It lasted at least a few seconds, Dante recovering first: "Ah, how I've missed these little moments of ours" he said easily, before starting to move, taking his trenchcoat with him. "But before I get too caught up in things, I better get down to ground-level, and properly come in through the front door before anyone else comes around."

"Yeah, you'd better" Den answered, glancing down the hallway (both ways). "If Sophie found you in here, she might assume things."

Zhalia made a sound at the imagery, but shook her head; she could handle Sophie. "Will do, Den" Dante finished at the same time, outside the sliding door now before closing it- within moments, he'd jumped right off the balcony, but that's not an issue for an experienced Seeker.

She raised an eyebrow faintly, before she and Den shared a shrug.

"I should get back down there" he said easily, starting to turn. "Just don't take too long, Zhalia."

"Do I ever?"

Den was already walking away, but though he did his best to hide it, she saw the telltale curve of his facial muscles. "Nah."

* * *

 **Not too long after everything, but they're certainly adjusting back, particularly Zhalia :P**

 **But as the pairings suggest, this isn't purely about Zhante, or Lophie - will involve them, sure, but not purely about the romance (despite this first chapter). The fic itself will consist of five chapters, each primarily from a different viewpoint with this one being from Zhalia's, and the others to involve others from the team.** **I will also say that, as of yet, I don't have an idea for a second Book (sorry) - in case I do in the future, a number of little hints I've planted in the previous book + this followup could be used.**

 **That's not to say I'm not open to suggestions though ;)**


	2. Sophie

****Disclaimer:** ** Don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers, nor any of it's characters.

 ** **Rating:** ** T

 **As the summary said, basically a follow-up to my Huntik Book. Enjoy**

* * *

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _A few days later_

Sophie looked over the reports carefully, fist to her chin and eyebrows furrowed - on her Cypherdex, the image of a Nullifier writhed, still their only source of info on this race aside from Void, who's scout status didn't fit this one's mold. Even now, the sight caused her to flashback to the battle, and her arm jerked slightly before she could help it- sighing, she focused on breathing for a little.

A small mental touch ran through her; Timaeus.

That helped, and she brushed a hand over her pocket, grateful - perhaps it hadn't been long since they'd bonded, but she appreciated the thought. And he's correct, as she couldn't dwell on the feelings of the past; merely use them to fuel her thoughts in the present.

"Sophie?"

She turned, seeing Den walking around the corner, Cherit on his shoulder. "Hey, Den" Sophie greeted, "I thought you were working on Medusa?"

"Finished kinda early today" he admitted, mouth twisting.

"She's still not responding?"

"Not really" Den continued, sighing. "I haven't given up or anything, but thus far my newer efforts haven't made a difference. Now I'm working on-and-off, trying to figure out what might drive her, or bond with her best before I make any further 'serious' efforts." He looked at her then. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Lok have similar troubles with Lindorm?"

"Oh, he did" Cherit answered, sitting up on Den's shoulder. "Lindorm was hard to control unless Lok was angry, but then they worked together perfectly."

"I remember that incident myself" Sophie added, events on Sutos Island still vivid. "His anger was understandable, but he was so caught up in it, that he became a little too blood-thirsty for my tastes. For which Lindorm was happy to oblige."

Den glanced away, troubled. "I get it's understandable too, but it reminds me too much of Harrison, when the Blood Spirals came for us..."

Cherit shared a look with her; none of them had been present for that incident (except Zhalia), but they'd heard the stories. This included Den's later tale of bonding with Hermos, when after the fight portion, the Legendary Titan had then probed Den's memories of fighting with Harrison... luckily for him, she'd deemed those experiences plentiful...

Then Den shook his head. "No, I think it's still a good reminder" he said carefully, and when she tilted her head: "That Lok's not perfect."

Once she understood, Sophie was all approval - perhaps Den still looked up to Lok (and the rest of them) a little, but it wouldn't do to dwell on hero worship. Not that he exactly had room to dwell upon it nowadays, for he's still working with Medusa, and subtly working up his internal self-esteem post-confidence booster, at least in regards to facing his hesitation head-on. Adding to the matter is that they're all supportive, doing what they can to indirectly help this change-

He made a sheepish sound. "I realize _no one_ is perfect, and it's always being said" Den added, trying for a lighter tone. "But it still needed to sink in properly, I guess."

"All important lessons seem to need that quality" Cherit added, quite easily.

Sophie couldn't help but agree, as she'd learned a hard lesson when the Blood Spirals first came out, about her own family. She still believed there's a nobility and strength to it, but clearly a lot of work was needed to nudge them in the right direction again - while she had this thought, she didn't notice Den + Cherit had settled beside her until: "Sophie?"

"Hmm?"

Den glanced at the Cypherdex image of the Nullifier, expression a bit grim before looking back at her. "Have the experts determined anything about them?" he asked. "I assume that's why you're looking at the reports?"

"Actually" Sophie admitted, "Tersly was kind enough to send these updated ones, with Montahue supporting this."

Cherit smiled from Den's shoulder, though he kept his gaze well away from the Nullifier image itself. "How kind of them; I've always liked those fellows myself, particularly as they're good friends of Dante's."

"I'll have to take your word for that, Cherit" Den added, but shrugging; he'd accepted that he's still out-of-it on several aspects. "Still, any new theories?"

"A few, though still more questions than answers" she answered, looking at the Nullifier's image with distaste. "One such theory is to their level of power, and regeneration capabilities. Though there's only one specimen that we've studied, they've theorized that this creature was either using normal power, or it wasn't."

Den's brow furrowed a bit. "Meaning, if it didn't have 'just' normal power, that Nullifier was helped by others?" he asked, she nodding, then he grunted. "Wouldn't surprise me one bit; there was that tip of one who tried to keep that dimensional hole open... according to you and Lok, through Timaeus anyway."

"Yes" Sophie said, sighing with crossed arms. "The thing is, because this is our only data, we can't tell what exactly happened yet. Clearly the Nullifier had a large pool of energy fueling it's attacks, as well as it's regeneration capabilities, but how much was from which creature? We all felt that thing's power for ourselves-"

"Vividly" Den add, grim.

"-but for now, it remains unclear" she continued, sympathizing. "It's a valid enough theory, but it's unproven."

He digested that for a few moments. "Well, we can hope" Den answered carefully, Cherit looking at him. "If it wasn't being helped, and they're all on that level of power, we're in _big_ trouble if they ever get loose... again. If most of it's power came from the majority, then they might actually be manageable... but I doubt that's the case at all, Sophie."

"No."

Cherit made a sound, internally focused a bit. "Lord Casterwill himself fought the Nullifiers for 500 years, Den, bringing the Legendary Titans, and more, to Earth" he stated, a little sadder and nostalgic. "If they were that easy, it wouldn't have taken nearly that long."

Den sighed, nodding. "I know, Cherit, but it doesn't hurt to dream" he said, rubbing at his right arm, where his mark lay.

Sophie sympathized again, wishing she could destroy them all and be done with things - but things were never that easy, and she's certain her cautiousness was shared by the Huntik Council, as well as her family. At the least though, she wished they could do more for Den + Zhalia's marks; using Curselock still worked, but the effects still left much to be desired... least the Foundation's improving the frequency overtime.

...

The three of them continued to talk of various things, while Zhalia and Dante seemed 'mysteriously' absent today. They'd both said they weren't on a date, but Sophie knew even if true, date-like moments would occur no matter what, because that's how it worked.

Den had been amused upon hearing that:

"It's weird how everyone here, save maybe Cherit, is experienced that way" he admitted, but with an odd small smile.

"That doesn't mean you won't find someone, Den" Sophie started-

-Den just chuckled. "Lok said the same thing, during one mission where we were looking for a Nexus" he said, having a slight teasing gleam. "I said 'here's hoping' and partly meant it, but for now things are as they are, and I kinda skipped the usual interest-in-girls stage anyway."

"Because of the orphanage?" Cherit questioned. "Protecting Harrison?"

"Yup."

Sophie was a little surprised Lok had told Den that, if some time ago, while also digesting what Den just said. Normally, they might have encouraged him to go out and find someone- key words being 'might have', depending on the situation. Obviously though, with Den being a member of this team, numerous aspects made it difficult to intentionally try - yet luck or fate could always play a part, so who knows? She felt amused though, remembering it was the 'normal' way that she and Lok became aware of each other (her _much_ later), but maybe it's best that Den doesn't go through the random process. Not to mention, despite discussing the subject, it's not required or anything that he finds someone; of course it isn't.

"-trying with Medusa again?"

The mention of Den's Titan brought Sophie back; she must be a bit distracted today, she thought with some disgruntlement. As she got caught up, Cherit was encouraging Den to try again, using his new boosted confidence.

"I can try, Cherit" Den said slowly, shifting against the couch, laying kinda low. "But thus far, all I know is good emotions cause nothing but trouble."

"Then you might have to try for negative emotions" Cherit slowly added, but more in general than aimed at Den, worried. "That's gonna be difficult."

"Quite."

She understood; for Den, those emotions must hit too-close-to-home, remembering how Harrison had done it with glee. Sophie then tilted her head, arms crossed, "We all understand why you're reluctant to do so, Den" she said to him. "Don't think we blame you for that.

Den's mouth moved a little. "I know, Sophie" he answered shortly. "I wouldn't let those emotions take control. It _could_ ultimately be helpful, if it allows Medusa to bond with me, and I _could_ do it if need be, but it... leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

Sophie put a hand on his shoulder. "I think we all know how that feels" she continued, tone similar. "Lok initially felt ashamed at his bursts of anger, while I've had the same taste in some dealings with my family. Cathy-"

She trailed off when her Cypherdex, which had otherwise been silent and closed, started blinking with an indicator. Den and Cherit noticed too, sharing a look of 'who could that be?', while she physically opened it up and... and she had an incoming call from-

"From Ireland" she breathed, a little softer.

At that, Den quickly stood up, with Cherit not remotely surprised or jolted. "Then I believe that's our cue, Sophie" the Titan said gracefully, doing a little bow while Den chuckled, but gave her a knowing smile. "Give Lok our regards; we can talk more later" Den said, before quickly hurrying out of there without another word, Cherit in tow.

Sophie was grateful, if a little amused at the timing, this call having interrupted her's + Den's serious moment. Still, she leaned back into the couch, pressing the 'Accept' button - seconds later, an image formed of Lok.

 _"Sophie"_ he breathed, smiling, even as she was. _"Sorry I haven't called since last week."_

"You've been spending time with your family; don't let me stop you" she told him, before adopting a gentler tone. "But how are things?"

Lok sheepishly rubbed his head, smile included on that. _"It's been a month-and-six-days"_ he breathed, glancing up, _"yet still, Mom is the happiest I've ever seen her in a long time. She and dad couldn't stay away from each other at first, and while they're less about it now, I think they're clearly sneaking everything they can... m-maybe even more, for all I know."_

Her cheeks heated a bit, and she could see Lok felt the same. "It's been a long time, for both Eathon and Sandra" Sophie breathed, faint memories of them doing similar low-key stuff coming up. "Even still, I know they love you both, and you've been working on your feelings."

He nodded slowly, glancing down as he remembered - she'd heard mentions of incidents during the first few weeks, where many spilled emotions had been released. Lok had it better than his sister, because his had been partly spilled during past missions, particularly when he'd thought Eathon might be dead... Cathy though, had this in addition to the shock of having been thrown into numerous battles. She thankfully hadn't developed any serious form of post-traumatic-stress-syndrome, due to the _very early_ support gotten from her family, but the shakiness hadn't been easy to deal with. They were all glad she's recovering, as they certainly hadn't planned on throwing her into things _that_ abruptly (it just happened), and didn't want her to have been permanently affected.

 _"Yeah, we have"_ Lok admitted. _"Cath's had it worse, but she's been getting much better lately. She's starting not to flinch when we surprise her anymore, and she's been working hard to grow used to her feelings, rather than hide from them."_

"Well, everyone is helping in spirit."

He smiled a little. _"If I were there right now, Sophie, I'd kiss you for that."_

Sophie just smirked in response.

Lok chuckled. _"But more than anything, I know she'll appreciate that, as do I"_ he continued, more soft, which she returned as well via toning down the smirk. _"Still, while we're sorta on the subject, what about you Sophie?"_

"Hmm?"

He shifted a bit, a little embarrassed. _"Well, when I said 'maybe more', regarding mom and dad"_ Lok repeated, his image's cheeks turning a darker color. _"I guess I'm asking, have you had time to think about your incidents?"_

Her mouth twisted a bit, but she wasn't too embarrassed this time, something to be grateful for. "Considering the fact that things started out fairly sudden" Sophie started, Lok shifting again, "I'd say that yes, I've had time to think, which I didn't have when things kept happening in progression."

 _"And?"_

"What do you mean 'and?', Lok?" she asked, eyebrow raised. "It doesn't mean I've decided not to continue with us, once you get back to Venice anyway. It simply means I've grown used to the idea of continuing as we have; incidents should be non-existent from now on, rare at the worst, now that I've grown accustomed to this... but if either of us move too suddenly, it could start again. I _wouldn't_ appreciate that."

Lok let out a breath. _"Yeah, you wouldn't. But that's good to hear, Sophie"_ he admitted, smiling, _"I hope it works out."_

Sophie gave him a playful little eye-roll, arms crossed. "I _intend_ it to" she stated, before they started laughing a little. "Any other news?"

 _"Well, Cathy will have her college stuff to deal with soon; she'll be gone in less than two weeks here"_ he answered. _"Overall, I think once she's left, it'll be about time for me to come back too."_

She decided to express that with a little smirk, certain her eyes had a similar gleam. "If you'd like, I can set up those arrangements right now" Sophie said, arms crossed. "Plane schedules are usually quite busy, so if you wait too long, you'll miss out massively."

Lok tried hard to suppress his laughter, he did, but it kept cracking.

...

Honestly, Sophie lost track of time, though that happened occasionally whenever they had the time for longer talks.

"So how'd you deal with Scarlet?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

Lok's mouth twisted on his Holotome image - they both knew nothing had actually happened, and she's playing, yet still. _"With her usual teasing?"_ he asked, shrugging a bit. _"Well you know, I was mainly polite, but I did tell her that we were together, to which she didn't seem surprised at all. Her teasings did mainly disappear after that, and the last few were mainly just friendly, not flirting teases. To my surprise though, she mentioned that Dante had already told her similar regarding him and Zhalia, which makes me wonder when that happened."_

Aside from the relief and satisfaction, Sophie felt curious too. "Perhaps it was at the Huntik beachhead" she mused, before smirking. "It wouldn't surprise me, as Dante doesn't keep things from us if they're important, but moments like that, he can choose whether or not to speak up _right_ away."

He laughed, agreeing. _"Well either way, Scarlet said it means she can't flirt with him anymore either, or me, outside of small little moments"_ Lok said, before rubbing his head. _"I hope she was kidding with that last bit, because I'm sure she knows you wouldn't appreciate_ any _flirting aimed toward me. Nor would Zhalia."_

"She'd better, or there _will_ be words between us."

Lok was a little sheepish, but un-surprised. _"I told you, Sophie-"_

"Yes, yes" she interrupted mildly, waving a hand. "'Don't hurt her'. I never planned to, because it's not necessary."

He started laughing again, as did she after a moment, going at it for awhile - afterward, they just looked at each other, sharing one of those littler moments.

 _"I wish I were back already, Sophie"_ Lok breathed, sincere. _"I know that's normal, but things are just best when we're together."_

"That's somewhat cliche, but it's also a good thing to feel" Sophie answered, a bit teasing but also gentle - inwardly, she almost wanted to touch his image, despite knowing he wouldn't see that. "Though, you're probably half-saying that because you miss our kisses-"

His mouth curved upward.

"-but regardless, I do too, a little" she continued, knowing it's embarrassing to admit (for them both), but it's the truth. What she didn't mention was that she missed having him sleep in the same room, even if they didn't do anything particularly special in that regard, but hopefully she didn't have have to say it. "It won't be too much longer."

 _"Yeah."_

Just after he said that, there was a small sound in his message's background, which they both reacted to. Sophie couldn't make it out, but Lok's side-reaction meant it'd come from inside the house, which meant his family... confirmed when Lok turned back at her, apologetic. _"I gotta go soon"_ he breathed.

Knowing in the back of her mind that it'd been awhile, she wasn't disappointed at all, and nodded with a smile. "We'll talk again later."

 _"Not_ too _much later. Take care, Sophie."_

"Take care, Lok."

Seconds after that, his image faded from her Cypherdex, who's indicator light finally went out as the message terminated. Seeing this, Sophie shook her head before pressing the right button, making it disappear into thin air with flashes of Seeker energy. She stood carefully, stretching her legs + body, as she'd been sitting for what had seemed like an hour or more - but afterward, Sophie moved away... eventually she came upon the kitchen, where she found Den (Cherit seemed elsewhere at the moment).

"Sophie" he said, slightly surprised, holding up a currently-undialed phone. "Wow, you were there for awhile."

"So it seems" she answered, before nodding at the phone. "Who're you planning on calling?"

"Not a 'who', more of a place" Den answered, holding his hands together. "I was thinking of ordering a pizza, but I also knew that if I wanted to ask, I'd have to come to you first and all. But I didn't want to interrupt or anything either, so..."

Sophie figured between all the time spent talking to Den earlier, then Lok, it's about time for dinner anyway. "I think it's a great idea" she said mildly, hand on her hip. "Though, you'll have to get approval from Dante and Zhalia as well."

Halfway through her statement, the door opened.

"Approval on what?"

Den held up the phone a bit. "Ordering a pizza, Dante" he said easily. "Or that's the idea being voted upon; what do you two think?"

"Well, why not?" Zhalia breathed, shrugging with a lip curve. "I mean, if Sophie's all for it, what chance do we have of saying no?"

In answer, Sophie gave a little eye-roll. "That's hilarious" she told the other woman, who shrugged again, getting knowing smiles from the guys. "And in either case, what happened to you two?" she asked, this time more playful. "Out on a date?"

Beside her, pushing buttons, Den had to try really hard to contain his interest; it helped when he had to step out of the room, no doubt to place that call without voices being too distracting (to either party).

"Not officially, no" Dante said, glancing up; Zhalia wasn't surprised at all. "Besides, our actual first official date is in about five days. Friday, I think we agreed-"

"Saturday" Zhalia slipped in, sly.

Dante's composure briefly cracked, but clearly one or both of them had planned/anticipated that moment. "Either way, that doesn't make our being away a date."

"Then what were you doing?" Sophie asked, a little shrewd.

Zhalia started walking forward, arms crossed yet smirking. "You don't need to know, Sophie" she snarked, completely at ease, ignoring her small look over-the-shoulder at the woman.

Sophie knew Zhalia's playing her, as she tended to do, but didn't like how they kept avoiding the question - she glanced at Dante, who simply waved a hand. "So you're both not gonna tell me?" she asked, a little exasperated. "Even you, Dante?"

"Well you know I would, Sophie, but Zhalia's spoken" he answered, completely mild; it made her crack a smile. "I could go against her, but I might come to regret it later."

She shook her head; ah, these were her friends. "Well, if you weren't gonna in the first place, Dante, then I probably couldn't change that" Sophie admitted, before tilting her head. "Just don't play this up as you being henpecked; you're not like that at all."

"'Henpecked'?" Dante asked, both eyebrows raised, surprised at her choice of words. "That's quite a statement about me, Sophie. Untrue, but quite a statement."

She smirked in response, hand on her hip. "Exactly."

Dante tried to hide a smile, but she knew anyway. "Harsh" he mused, a glint in his eyes. "I see your wit is as sharp as ever."

"It never dulled in the first place."

A moment passed, then Dante hummed. "This time only, I can't come up with an appropriate response to that" he said mildly, laughing- despite herself, Sophie joined in, but that didn't subdue how pleased she felt.

* * *

 **Multiple things going on, a number still taking their course, yet the team's as close as ever**


	3. Dante

****Disclaimer:** ** Don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers, nor any of it's characters.

 ** **Rating:** ** T

 **As the summary said, basically a follow-up to my Huntik Book. Enjoy**

* * *

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Saturday_

"I'm really glad I got some time off to stick around."

Beside him, Zhalia chuckled, arms crossed as they walked together. "Well you work hard; had to happen sooner or later" she snarked, without even a glance in his direction. "Helping out in Huntik must've played a part too."

Dante wasn't surprised, just giving off a small hum - the walk was mostly uneventful, but they soon came up to their stop. It looked to be pretty simple, but that was the point: a cafe that had outdoor seating, with a number of tables fitted with sun-umbrellas, and which overlooked one of the many waterways throughout Venice. The place had a few other eaters, but wasn't too crowded, which made it perfect- he looked at Zhalia, as if asking her approval, and her raised eyebrow perfectly said 'it'll do, but you didn't need to ask'. Shrugging a bit, he then moved forward, going to pay and order, pulling out his wallet-

"Are you gonna try and pay the whole bill?" she asked.

"Well, it's the first 'official' date" he said, a little gentle. "Usually that's tradition, the guy offering to do that. Not offering isn't a good sign."

Zhalia's lip curved, before she waved her wallet in his face, almost literally. "Well, good thing we're way past that stage."

Dante chuckled, grinning a little. "Well, I still had to offer" he said easily. "At the very least, that fulfills my obligation for having tried."

"Always such a gentlemen."

"We're in public, Zhalia; I have to be" he answered, teasing.

She just rolled her eyes, fairly playful. "As if you aren't otherwise" Zhalia slipped in, briefly winking before she moved ahead - a little surprised at the wink, he wondered at that, interested. Hmm, either that's an unconscious move on her part, or she might have planned that to throw him off his game... well, if it gives her a little satisfaction at his expense, he has little problem with that. And it was merely unconscious, leaving her unaware that she did such a thing, perhaps he can semi-enjoy it until she becomes aware of this- eh, he thinks intentional is much more likely.

...

In little time, they'd gotten themselves a seat, payed for the meal + had it arrive a little later.

"These are gonna make for terribly bad breath afterward" Zhalia noted, just opposite him - referring to both their meals, his being _Rixoto de gò_ , hers being _potenta e schie_ (essentially rice prepared with the local fish, and local shrimp on a bed of polenta, respectively, for non-locals).

"So we'll wash it out with wine afterward" Dante answered, not worried, even as he poured his glass of Prosecco - a fairly good white wine. "Or if that doesn't pan out, get some bottled water or something to go. Besides, I doubt bad breath would stop you."

"No, but it'd stink."

He chuckled. "Very true."

Zhalia's lip curved, but she poured her own bottle of Prosecco. "So now that we've gotten the ice broken, is this the part where we talk about deeper things?"

"No, that comes a little latter" Dante answered, though he hid a smile, having recognized her teasing tone. "We're supposed to lighten it up further before we talk about stuff like that. Perhaps work instead, or related details, as a way to catch up."

A moment, then she shrugged, 'spearing' her shrimp with a fork. "Okay, then you first, Dante" she said slyly.

Inclining his head, he thought back but only as a polite gesture; he knew exactly what he wanted to share, least right off the bat. "Those days after the events in Huntik" he said, a little serious, but still light. "Before I left back to HQ, I ran into Grier as well as Metz, talking about all the important stuff - but we also said our goodbyes, in several ways. Grier told me to stay sharp, as he's still one of my rivals... wanna know how I replied?"

She was eating, but her look alone told him 'Sure, go ahead and tell me _all_ about it', in several ways.

He took a moment, getting ready, before: "Don't think I've forgotten" Dante breathed-

Zhalia stopped halfway to her next bite.

"-"I've still kept an eye on you."

After two seconds, she gained one of the more incredulous looks he'd ever seen. "Are you kidding?" she asked rhetorically. "Of all the ways you could've replied to Grier, you chose to give off an impression of _me_?"

To that, he just 'innocently' shrugged.

"I seriously cannot leave you alone, Dante" she chided. "With acts like that, you're completely giving the wrong impression of us."

"Come on, people know us better than that" Dante mock-argued, trying hard not to grin (but not _exactly_ succeeding). "Besides, aren't I allowed to have a little fun?"

"Oh, sure you can" Zhalia replied a little airily, lip 'trembling'. "But what's next? Us switching personalities?"

By that point, he couldn't hold back the laughter any longer, and didn't try- across from him, Zhalia shook as her composure cracked, holding a fist to her mouth. Despite that, muffled sounds were still audible, even over the volume of his own laughter... it seemed to go on for at least ten seconds, but it's kinda hard to be sure.

"I hope you don't mean that literally" Dante breathed, eventually.

Resting her fist against her cheek, Zhalia's gaze remained on the table. "Well... it'd be ridiculous, Dante" she whispered back, glancing at him, but with a little smile. "Trying to imagine you with a near-permanent scowl on your face, along with occasional full-out nervous moments, is a really hard thing to do."

He gave her a small look, but his voice remained light. "You don't scowl, exactly, Zhalia" he said, before humming, "It's a lot more the intensity of your gaze, and you do it well."

Her cheeks turned _slightly_ pink, very briefly. "I was kidding anyway" she continued, going back to eating, one hand noticeably remaining 'out' on the table. "But, that's good to know too."

Dante gave a little hum, before he slowly reached forward- her fingers moved as he intertwined them, but returned the favor only a little slower. They ate again in silence, but it was a comfortable one, and he didn't miss how her gaze kept moving to their joined hands... her natural composure didn't show it much, but he knew it's making her feel happy, or content at the very least.

That was all he asked.

/

 _Later_

After lunch, he and Zhalia basically walked through the city - it was mostly fun, but every now and then, they came across little reminders that things weren't the exact same. Some buildings were still under (re)construction, a number of fountains/lamps/pathways had obviously been newly-fitted, and numerous other things that stood out from the norm of a few months ago.

"Even now, it seems so close, though it's been more than a month" Zhalia breathed, sitting down on the rim of a fountain.

Having a good idea, Dante sat beside her at a respectable distance, letting out a breath... he hadn't physically been there when the attack happened, but he'd have given anything if it meant he could've.

"Yet on the bright side, that was the first battle Lernaean Hydra and Tyrannos fought with us" she said, a little lighter.

Deciding to focus upon that, he slowly nodded. "I wasn't the one who personally approved them to this team, but I've certainly seen the reports" he said, smiling just a bit. "Would you like to hear about them, or would you rather not get work involved with our date?"

Zhalia glanced at her pack, then tilted her head, one hand slowly moving up his arm with little motions. "Just the interesting bits" she said, before her eyes almost seemed to gleam for a moment. "And it still counts as getting to know you, since details about your day-to-day activities in New York are unusually scarce-"

-he chuckled a little, glancing at her arm motions, letting her. "Fair point. Well then, I think I'll start with Lernaean Hydra, since you obviously know him so well" Dante said, a little mild. "He was found in Greece, specifically on the island on Crete."

"No surprise there" she snarked.

Yup, as Ancient Greece had created many legends, including the hydra.

"Did his trial involve setting fire to something?"

"Now that's a 'scarily' good guess, Zhalia. But yes, it _did_ involve that, no doubt a reminder of how to deal with a hydra's head in the legend."

After a moment, Zhalia seemed to move a fraction-of-an-inch closer. "That aside, I'm sure that somehow, this Titan was 'modernized' somewhere along the way" she noted, interested. "In the original myth, the hydra was about human-sized and it couldn't regenerate - Lernaean Hydra can, yet his size is roughly 1.5 times ours, though the heads and everything can argue for twice."

"It's a mystery all right" Dante agreed. "One that'll take awhile to examine."

Her lip curved more. "Still, Tyrannos fits the bill as well" Zhalia added. "Obviously he's based off media depictions of T. Rexes, not the current accurate renderings by archaeologists. I wonder if he appeared like the originals but changed, or if he just suddenly 'appeared' in this day and age."

"Well, his amulet's story is an interesting one."

She gave him the raised eyebrow 'I'm listening' look; Dante couldn't deny he enjoyed that.

"Back in America, they'd uncovered a new T. Rex skeleton; standard stuff" Dante said, shrugging for a moment. "Until someone noticed that buried within the middle of it's skull, lay his amulet."

Her look furrowed, a little suspicious. "Okay, that can't be what it looked like" Zhalia mused, free hand on her hip. "Humans weren't even around when the dinosaurs roamed, and the first to summon them to Earth was Lord Casterwill... plus we're not sure how long Titans have been around, _exactly_. Not to mention the complications of having an amulet stuck in the middle of brain flesh while it's still alive."

"Agreed" Dante answered, thinking how lucky it was that a few Seekers had been at the scene; that could've gotten out-of-hand. "After those on site _just_ managed to get the amulet out, the archaeologists thinking it'd never been there in the first place, they managed to discreetly confirm the T. Rex skeleton's resting site had been disturbed previously. Someone had cleverly dug it up before, placing the amulet there, before re-burying the site... but there are no fingerprints or energy traces, so we have nothing to go on, as of yet."

Zhalia hummed, sitting even closer; her occupied hand moved onto his shoulder, resting there. "If they went to all that trouble, it couldn't have been a desperate 'hide-it-wherever-possible' situation" she whispered. "They had plenty of time, and yet never came back for it."

"It's a good theory so far" he whispered back, now close enough that he could brush her shoulder - his hand came up, brushing against that single strand down the middle, which was enough to get her attention. "Zhalia."

Like that, a little hesitant, she leaned in and kissed him... Dante returned the favor, doing little motions with the ends of her hair. Zhalia did similar with one hand, though she seemed to like holding the back of his neck more, but he couldn't say he minded. This kiss didn't last long, but Zhalia stayed surprisingly close after pulling back, hand staying on his neck even as he registered things. Zhalia made a small sound, before her free hand came up to his hair, doing little things with the bangs.

"I like the details a certain way" she whispered slyly, in response to his slightly-raised eyebrow.

After a moment, Dante hummed. "Well, that's good progress, Zhalia" he approved, "It'll take longer before it's effortless, but that's perfectly fine, since we both know you can handle this."

She said nothing, probably deliberately but you never know.

"So after this, do we continue the 'bond' angle regarding those Titans?" he whispered, a little playful.

Zhalia gave him a small look, combining 'knock it off' with amusement. "I'm not all that affected" she pointed out.

"I didn't say you were."

A small, playful eye-roll, before she simply kissed him again... that question answered, Dante returned it easily.

...

"So how's Lok doing?"

"Honestly, all I can say is the standard stuff" Zhalia said, arms crossed - just walking together now, not sure where they're going but that part of the fun. "'He's doing fine', and all that."

"Zhalia" Dante chided.

She gave him a small look. "Of course you'd ask about him specifically, since the team showed that they're fine, and he was exempt from that" Zhalia mused, lip curving; he raised an eyebrow. "But honestly, I wouldn't know what to say. He misses Sophie and vice-versa, but he's also dealing with the bombshell of his father being back, and the family dealing with Cathy's new knowledge."

She made a sound then. "But by all accounts, it's going well" she breathed, definitely concern in there. "Cathy's hanging in there too, considering she had worse bombshells to deal with."

"You're worried about her" Dante breathed, but gentle.

"We all are" Zhalia answered, the double meaning clear. "After all, none of us asked for her to go through so much- the fact that she held up, and willingly kept up, is admirable. It's natural we'd be concerned... though I'll admit, Cathy considered me an older sister figure, stating it'd be nice to sometimes have it the other way around."

Hmm. "I'll bet you were surprised" he noted, slowly stopping beside a corner, which she quickly noticed. "Though I wouldn't peg Cathy as the mysterious type."

Zhalia's lip curved again. "That's what Cathy herself said" she noted, more affectionate, leaning against the building wall. "And yes, I was surprised - I mentioned I'm the mysterious, cool older women, Dante-"

"Which you basically are."

-she gave him a look, but had to briefly cover her mouth. "Yeah, but it was never as an older sister figure before" she snarked. "There's a difference."

Dante nodded his head. "Point taken" he answered, shifting his weight a bit. "But I'll bet she had help from everyone."

Zhalia waited a few moments, letting a pedestrian walk by out-of-hearing before her lip curved. "Of course" she answered. "Her brother, and latter their father, both helped with the fear angle. Sophie and Den were instrumental in her training, and regarding some issues latter with Shadow, over personality differences and working together- just like Lok with Lindorm, though that's not too surprising. Still, Cathy came with us to find her father, and once it was all over, she found out that she wasn't suited for front-line adventures like ours, particularly the danger... though I don't know if she'll change her mind. But even with everything, she didn't want to stay out-of-the-loop anymore, which was a good sign that she'd be truly okay."

"A good thing too" Dante breathed, glancing up. "If it _was_ too much, Simplemind could've erased her memory, with effort... but it wouldn't erase the underlying subconscious elements."

There was a moment of silence between them - it's hard enough to deal with lingering emotions when you knew about them; not knowing why you're reacting a certain way's just asking for trouble.

"Did she keep her Titans?" Dante asked, more gentle.

Zhalia's lip curved slightly. "With the exception of Shadow, whom she gave to Lok, yeah."

"Why not him?"

"Well from what I gathered, Shadow was a Titan who liked fighting strong opponents, and something about interest in our dimension" she breathed, shrugging a bit. "Cathy wanted nothing more to do with fighting, understandably, and least for now, so she thought Lok could give him that in her place."

He understood- after all, he'd given his spare Springer to Cathy (after Den passed), and slipped Redcap into Zhalia's pocket. He hadn't gotten much use for them with all his work, so he thought they'd be in better hands for those who would - Cathy could probably keep Springer around that way, solving puzzles for her as a little like, no doubt to remind her of her brother.

Just as he finished the thought, Zhalia's fingers slipped into his - he returned the gesture, slipping in a side-smile.

"Speaking of which, you're probably wondering how me and Den relate to our newest bonds" she stated, slightly teasing, as if she weren't doing anything with his hand-

-probably as a small payback.

"Well, my official answer is 'I'm curious'" Dante answered, keeping the smile.

"Of course you are. Well, one of the best ways to bond with Lernaean Hydra is by being pragmatic-"

"Say no more" he cut in mildly. "You've found your perfect match."

Zhalia smirked a bit. "Nothing's perfect, and neither is he" she answered, shaking her head. "From what I've seen, the moment he suffers any major pain - particularly extreme - his vision + instincts turn red, and then he refuses to listen to me. It's hardest at the onset but weakens overtime, and trying to get through that block is a major pain."

Dante raised an eyebrow. "Well, I was kidding" he said. "Though I'll admit I didn't know about that angle... Lernaean Hydra must be sensitive about it."

She deliberately chose not to comment - it might've been his imagination though, but her pocket seemed to quiver in response. Instead she moved on: "Tyrannos?"

"Being a dinosaur, particularly the 'king' species, he strikes me as a creature of instinct" he answered, having a little smile. "As well as an alpha hunter from that time period."

"Correct" came Zhalia's sly comment. "Den displays the best bond by feeling the same, best fueled by adrenaline, particularly the kind fueled by battle. The downside is that too much fear-adrenaline can make Tyrannos wild, unpredictable... good thing Den's not really one to freeze up."

"But if Den ever were to, Tyrannos could potentially go on a rampage" Dante noted.

"I think that's obvious" she noted, but she started walking- while a little surprised, he soon followed. "Still, Dante, perhaps that's enough work details, don't you think?"

He made a small hum. "Well, I was thinking it could go on slightly longer, perhaps about the Spirit World incident having an effect here on Earth, but sure" he answered gently, her little change-in-expression that last part wasn't lost on her. "So then, what else is there to talk about?"

"...who said we had to talk?"

Smiling, Dante gently touched Zhalia's shoulder, before he guided her to lean against his arm while they walked. She didn't look at him, which helped hide any potential embarrassment, but didn't resist- in fact, she slowly held onto said arm, after awhile.

...

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

"Well, I see why Lok and Sophie come up here at times. Based on what you said."

"Just be careful it doesn't become a habit, or they're not gonna be pleased; this is their spot."

"Mmh" Dante breathed, enjoying this view for a few more moments, before looking at Zhalia. "So it is."

Zhalia was also looking out at the view, yet subtly aware of his gaze - this would be about the part where he's supposed to say she's more lovely than the landscape. But not only was that a _little_ corny, he doubted she'd appreciate such an overdone cliche... the thought, maybe, but not overall. Not to mention such a thing would be a little ironic, at _least_ , considering the 'grief' he'd given her for listing cliches- nah, can't even be called grief. Dante smiled, thinking it's all supposed to be simple, that he had her figured out as claimed, but he knew better; Zhalia was equally capable of throwing him for a loop, even if she'd been late in starting.

Slowly, he leaned toward her... she didn't move except for breathing, yet aware anyway...

She moved when he kissed her neck, if simple about it. "Were it not for our 'intimate' cue, I'd take that as an invitation" Zhalia whispered, a little breathy.

"Understandable" Dante breathed easily, continuing his little affections.

She made a sound, half 'as-expected' and half getting-into-it. "And yet, I- while I probably could _physically_ do things, a little, mentally is a different story" she breathed, one hand on the other side of his face, hesitant about the pull-closer motion. "I'm not like Lok and Sophie."

He paused a bit, but smiling. "No" he agreed gently, purely leaning against her side. "They're young adults in love, in more ways than one."

In his peripheral vision, Zhalia's cheeks turned very-slightly-pink, for a moment anyway. "Don't make me imagine that" she stated, probably as a cover even as he chuckled. "What they do is their own business."

"As is ours" Dante added lightly, which made her glance away - he took her hand, which she slowly returned in small affections. "And in our case, I only do affections I know you're willing for, such as simple stuff. Anything serious is still iffy, and consent is really important."

She knowingly shook her head at his 'playing that up', but slowly glanced back. "...thanks" Zhalia breathed, fingers brushing against his bangs- a kiss wasn't long to follow.

And it didn't remain simple.

Gradually caught up in the rush of sensations, Dante was glad for his own 'intimate' restriction, for it kept him from getting too tempted by this. Yet the more comfortable Zhalia grew with their affections, he couldn't deny that she's getting faster each time, even if gradual. In fact, this particular one had her slowly push him forward, going from sitting to leaning against the roof tiles. He didn't mind, even as they braced against gravity with their legs, but a certain motion got his attention later... well, after he caught this breath too.

"Zhalia" he breathed, a little dazed despite himself; she's quite thorough. Maybe in the future, he should have them drink wine more often - not copious amounts, and clearly not enough for any impairment, but the 'loosening up' angle might be worth it.

Still a bit flustered, Zhalia slowly looked at her hand, currently resting on his chest- she didn't move, except for her head. "I'm not sure _this_ is intimate" she managed, breath heavy as well. "After all... I wasn't gonna do anything, other than rest it."

"Be that as it may, it _could_ be argued as intimate, depending upon the man involved."

A little sound. "Don't drag this out, Dante" Zhalia whispered, leaning a bit closer- closer, he could see bits of effort. "If you don't like it, now or period, you should just say so."

Dante smiled a little, still feeling his own rush of warmth. "And now you're using similar advice to mine" he breathed, content. "Now I'm really concerned that we've switched personalities."

Zhalia said nothing, yet her little intent look did that better.

He chuckled a little; not even fazed. "Well, I don't really mind" he whispered low. "Just remember our 'intimate' cue."

A small eye-roll, not surprised. "Seriously, give this conversation a rest, Dante" she breathed, even closer.

Before he could try to respond, she kissed him again, effectively enforcing her words- that's the Zhalia he loves.

* * *

 **Mostly catch-up in-universe, with some details revealed/hinted at - but to them, the affections are the main focus anyway ;)**


	4. Lok

****Disclaimer:** ** Don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers, nor any of it's characters.

 ** **Rating:** ** T

 **As the summary said, basically a follow-up to my Huntik Book. Enjoy**

* * *

 _Kerry, Ireland_

 _Afternoon_

"So, how are things going with your family?"

On his Holotome image, Sophie shifted a bit. _"Exhausting"_ she admitted, a little weary. _"Due to the issue being a fundamental one, the Council of Elders' meetings go on for awhile, arguing every point and what it means. This time though, I have a little more support: the representative they selected to replace Lucas - an Aisha Casterwill - seems to have been inspired by my ascension to our family's leadership, though she's realistic and perhaps a little cautious at times about her support."_

"Well, that's still great" Lok said, completely sincere. "If you've got an- an- an _advocate_ , your position is stronger, right?"

Sophie gave him a knowing smirk; he knew full well it's about his vocabulary there. _"It is, Lok, and every bit counts"_ she continued after a few moments, easing a little. _"Lucas even said that perhaps he doesn't need to reclaim his Elder seat. Compared to him, Aisha's approach is more balanced, whereas he tends to state the truth as he sees it, with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude... which in our family, is risky now that his arguments clash with the older generation. Not to say he doesn't support this change, or me; he's been a big help."_

To that, he just smiled- spending time with her brother meant a lot to her, even if it's not as easy as she'd anticipated.

"Between you and me, Sophie" he breathed gently, after a bit. "The Council is probably kicking themselves for appointing this 'Aisha' now."

She laughed, rather hard. _"Oh I don't doubt it"_ she stated, smirking again. _"They've grumbled behind their backs that there was no indication of this before, that she particularly supported my viewpoints. Serves them right though, not really taking the time to research her before they put her in that seat; they cornered themselves on that one, and neither I nor they can get them out that easily, even if we wanted to."_

He didn't doubt it either, hehe - true he might not get politics well, but Lok trusted Sophie to work her way through that particular maze. She might make mistakes, but she could think several moves ahead, at least, and thus see most obstacles before she got near them, whereas he'd see more of the underlying pattern instead.

"Well, maybe the worse they squirm, the sooner they'll come around to you" he suggested, though unsure if that's a legit political tactic- maybe he confused it with something else.

 _"Mmh. It was never gonna be that easy Lok, and we both know it. Even my prowess against The Betrayer, while it helps, hasn't eliminated all resistance against me..."_

His brow furrowed, the way her expression changed mentioning that last part- matter-of-fact, he'd remembered her expression when they found each other again, and it hadn't been one he could identify.

"Are you okay?" he asked, a little worried.

 _"I'm fine."_

Yeeeeah, he's not buying it.

"Sophie" Lok breathed, trying to sound knowing, there-for-her, etc.

She wasn't looking, but there was a little side-smile, as if she knew she couldn't hide from him. _"After nearly killing us, The Betrayer just... left"_ she stated, really quiet, before her tone started getting bitter. _"As if I wasn't worth the trouble."_

His first instinct was to say that's ridiculous, among other things, but as soon as he opened his mouth-

 _"Titans! Attack! Concentrate all your power on Lok Lambert!"_

 _"Me!?"_

 _"Grr, don't think I'm a threat, huh!?"_

He remembered that vividly now; in response to Simon's commands, Sophie had been briefly incensed that he'd ignored her entirely. That detail kinda become minor due to the shock, and they soon battled for their lives, but it was hard to forget her expression.

 _"Right. Her pride"_ Lok thought slowly; but then what to say? He briefly thought of answering she was too good for The Betrayer, but dismissed it, because that could just as easily backfire as work... okay, what else...

After a few seconds: "Sophie?"

She glanced at him.

He gave a little smile, mostly wanting her to know he understood what she's feeling. "Based on your own report, The Betrayer probably 'had' to leave" he said gently. "Not 'chose' to leave. Because, if he could, he would've tried to kill you no matter what he thought of you... the fact that he didn't means something. Right?"

Sophie seemed to search his face for a long while, before she closed her eyes. _"It's times like this that I wish you were back already, Lok"_ she breathed, letting out a breath. _"I've had that argument in my head this entire time, but hearing you say it is like a weight on me just eased."_

Eased, not gone; Lok knew even with this, it wouldn't go away so easily. Despite that, he's relieved his words appeared to be having the intended effect, if not as much as he'd have liked... or maybe it's one of those gradual things. Hopefully either one.

"It won't be much longer" he assured. "Just a few more days really. And if you're still feeling down, I'll do whatever I can to help."

Her expression definitely softened.

"But until then, maybe you should take a break" Lok continued. "You look like you've done a lot in a short time."

After a moment, Sophie nodded. _"I have"_ she stated, more faint. _"In fact... maybe I should break out the Pied Piper's flute."_

"Cool."

A little smirk. _"Heck of a way to end this conversation, Lok"_ Sophie teased.

He just chuckled, smiling. "Well, it happens sometimes" he said lightly, before getting a little gentler. "Take care."

 _"Mmh. Take care."_

After that, her Holotome image vanished entirely, leaving him to slowly close it- he thought how lucky they were, being only one timezone away. It meant they could talk freely, more-or-less, whereas Dante and Zhalia still had the whole six-hours difference between New York and Venice... though, he was pretty sure they made it work anyway, with/without his current vacation in Venice.

 _"I don't doubt it"_ Lok thought, smile fond. _"And I'm really happy for them."_

A small knock on his door-frame-

-he drew himself out of it, turning in his chair. "Cath" he breathed, standing up.

His sister smiled a little. "If you don't mind, bro, I could use a little help; can't seem to find a certain book."

"Sure thing."

...

Heh, when Cath said she'd looked everywhere, she meant it; a lot of things had been rearranged every so slightly, least when he looked closely. Still, considering they're looking for a book, you'd think they could find one since it wasn't exactly that small... but no, the more lost something is, the harder it is to find.

"What was this book called again?" Lok asked, rummaging.

"'A History of Puzzles'."

He paused, a bit surprised. "Isn't that- yeah, that was one of dad's old titles" he realized, smiling as he looked over at his sister. "Why are you trying to find it?"

Cathy paused in her search, leaning back where she sat, hands on her jeans. "To keep as a reminder" she admitted, lip curved. "I don't know if I'll read it cover-to-cover, or even how good a read it'll be-"

Despite himself, Lok had to suppress a chuckle.

"-but it'll be a good reminder."

He went 'Mmh', moving closer himself- Cathy looked up as he sat down beside her, the motion jerky at first. "For a moment there, I thought maybe you had an interest" he said, before shrugging. "But that's okay too. It'll be all the good memories in one."

Her expression softened, glancing down to the side, where they both had amulets concealed within their pockets. "That too, bro" Cathy breathed, holding her knees up a bit - after that, her hand brought out an amulet; Springer's. "After all, there's a whole other dimension out there- it's pretty exciting, even after it all registered. Depending on where I go after I finish college, I might even want to help explore Huntik, maybe."

Lok smiled. "Well, even if you don't help out the Foundation, you'll do fine in whatever you choose" he said, sincere. "After all, you're certainly better at school that I ever was, Cath."

She giggled, briefly holding a fist near her mouth. "Because your mind was always on those adventures" she answered, smiling. "At first I always thought it was silly, but I figured 'why not'? Now I have an idea of what thrills it gives you... though not without trouble."

He glanced away then, having seen her earlier motion. "That's true" Lok admitted. "And I can't deny that after my first experience, I tried to run away from it. Only after I got a hold of myself did I realize that maybe, this world of Titans might have some clues where dad was. It was a lot to take in, but it might have some answers too, and that probably helped my recovery... and in your case, those prior training sessions probably did the same thing, because you got gradually used to things, enough."

Cathy looked at him, a little intent. "So you didn't know until 'recently', more-or-less?" she realized, and he nodded. "Oh... well, I guess that's overall better; in case the lead didn't work out, you didn't want me to get my hopes up, by knowing anything about Titans."

Her tone was understanding, but had trace bits of miffed underneath. Even roughly two months after the bombshells, that's still part of her... but Lok couldn't deny he deserved it, even if he'd lied to her for a good reason.

"What about mom?"

He shifted a bit, knowing what she's asking. "I don't know her reasons, but- well, when dad disappeared, he did so without any trace at the time" he said, a little heavy. "The Professor couldn't find him because he went through a Nexus, which went undiscovered until almost a decade later. As far as anyone knew, he could've been dead; there was nothing."

Cathy slowly brushed at her eyes. "So that's when she retired, from Seeker duty at least" she whispered. "I understand that part... but I still don't see why she didn't tell either of us, about Titans and Seekers spells... from what you've said before, she was fine with you becoming a Seeker."

"When I'd just turned adult age" Lok added, rubbing at his head. "Maybe that played a part, and before dad disappeared, we were simply too young to know. I dunno really."

His sister opened her mouth, then abruptly shook her head. "S-Sorry" she breathed, apologetic. "I keep doing that; getting caught up in why things were kept from me."

He understood; that blank spot (ie Dante's Simplemind) had drove her _crazy_ , and she clearly hadn't appreciated being kept in the dark after being made aware. In fact, he's fairly sure she took after mom a little - from what she'd said in recent stories, mom had been a little quick-tempered when she was younger, even having slapped dad for breaking a promise (not going to the Ireland castle, which he did).

Hard to imagine now... but not too far-out; _he'd_ had some anger issues at times.

"Anyway" Cathy breathed, looking 'ahead' for a bit. "I know that if that happens - me exploring for the Foundation - I'd at least be expected to keep my skills up" she continued, a little fainter. "I can do that, but outside of self-defense, the thought of fighting still makes my body shiver."

He touched her shoulder _very_ slightly, which made her jolt, and only then did he truly rest a hand there; he made sure to be fully supportive. "I still have flashbacks to the battle myself" Lok admitted, glancing up. "I used a lot of power all-at-once, and it took it's toll; I could barely walk without help for days at the time, and sometimes my body flashbacks to it. Kinda like sometimes in your sleep, you feel like you're falling before waking up."

A little smile. "Well, it does that to reset the body's equilibrium, when it thinks it needs it" she breathed, before slowly laughing a little. "But you probably didn't need to know that, did you, stinker?"

"Hey" he breathed, a little playfully annoyed, but he's already started to return the favor. "That hurts."

Within seconds, they were both laughing- not letting out their emotions, but simply enjoying things. After all, today's her last day before Cathy left for college again - they had this little time now, several hours, then Lok would accompany her to the airport, and she'd likely be gone for most of the year.

Afterward, Lok continued smiling. "Like I said: you'll do great, Cath" he assured.

"Mmh" she breathed, nodding a little with a smile, before standing up. "Thanks. I'll think things over carefully. But let's get back to finding that book, alright?"

"Of course."

/

 _Later; after noon_

"You sure?"

"Yeah" Cathy breathed, holding up the amulets of Solar and Lunar. "I mean, I doubt I'll get into many fights that'll need them, but I should at least have some protection, right?"

Lok nodded. "Right" he agreed, remembering how helpless he'd been when Organization suits attacked him and Sophie, that first time. "I hope nothing happens either, but weirdness tends to be as fickle as luck. Least with Solar and Lunar you can cover yourself, and then get some help, such as Scarlet. She's a good Seeker."

His sister gave him a little playful look, and opened her mouth to answer- until the sound of a car engine distracted them both, Cathy moreso than him. Despite this, they both smiled, Cathy clearly deciding she's gonna bring whatever-that-was up later, the front door opening-

-mom and dad walked in, arm-in-arm.

"Hey" Lok breathed, a little knowing. "How was your date?"

Dad gave him a knowing smile in return. "Wonderful" he breathed, glancing at mom, who looked content. "One of the first in a _long_ time. I recognized many of our favorite views from before, and it was indescribable - plus I think it's the first time Sandra has let me out of the house."

Lok shared a happy glance with Cath; dad's teasing of course, but they knew what he meant. Suddenly coming home after years with little explanation how he disappeared, particularly to the world unknowing of Titans or magic, was quite an issue to be tackled. As a result, during all this time, he and Cath had done a lot of the semi-daily stuff, like grocery shopping- they didn't really mind, particularly helping Cathy with her recovery. And just as they're getting used to dad being back themselves, they started to have him reappear for small stretches, with their entire family. This spread the word that he's back, purely by sightings... which was soon followed by questions.

"Even now people kept coming up to us" mom spoke, eyes closed. "It's gonna take awhile before it settles down."

Eathon rubbed at her arm. "Let it, Sandra" he assured, gentle. "Based on what little we've said, they think I've been through something terrible, and we want to be left alone- though that won't stop the more curious. I can easily show a semblance of haunted feelings, relief at being back- we just have to figure out exactly what my cover experience was, for those who'll persist."

Beside him, Cathy moved ahead, right to dad's other side. "Well, you've said that you were adventuring in Peru, then you got taken away" she said, a little faint yet supportive. "I've- I've got a suggestion that might help, dad."

"I'm all ears, Cathy."

"In 1995, Peru had a brief war with Ecuador, over an area in the former's territory" she continued, tapping her fingers. "It didn't last very long, but there was a bunch of tension, not helped by some illegal weapon shipments. It's also mentioned they've been fighting corruption since that time, with little battles for human rights of those that were marginalized in the war."

Dad's expression turned a little interested. "Those who think they've been treated unfairly, working from the shadows" Eathon mused. "Possibly even those who feel the solution that ended that war was unsatisfactory, but they have to be covert. Probably would 'appreciate' all the unwilling help they can get."

"That's gonna be your cover story, dad?" Lok asked, after a moment - had to admit though, he didn't think Cath would know about such an obscure war.

"That, or perhaps a variation. We've got time to figure that out, Lok."

Mom made a sound, rubbing dad's shoulder. "And time for us both to study that particular war, becoming intimate with it's intricacies" she stated, a little teasing herself; dad clearly got a kick of it internally. "Most people probably won't know any better, but it's gotta be consistent above all else."

"Of course" dad admitted, before he looked at his daughter. "That's a wonderful idea, Cathy."

Cathy just hugged him tightly, dad easily stepping into this, holding her close- for a moment, he held the back of her head too, but she appreciated it. Lok couldn't help but smile, as he knew mom's doing; after so long, they finally had dad back home with them. After about a minute, dad then let go, looking her over: "Even now, I still can't believe how much you've grown" he stated gently. "You or Lok."

She made a sound, happy, particularly when dad kissed her forehead. "Well, I-I'm sure mom can tell you all about that, dad" Cathy breathed, hands in front of her.

"I plan her to" Eathon stated, looking at mom-

-who's expression remained teasingly 'normal', but clearly looking forward to it.

...

"Got everything?"

"Almost, bro."

Lok hummed, picking up the book they'd been searching for earlier, before giving it to Cath (who put it in her carry-on bag). "How'd you know about that war?" he asked, curious.

"Honestly, I had to do a little research" Cathy admitted, faint yet not embarrassed. "When I was doing so, the name of the war seemed familiar to me. Then randomly, I recalled how one time, a classmate of mine once did a project involving a report on that war. I'd completely forgotten about that otherwise."

Well, that's certainly better than him, because he hadn't been aware Peru had engaged in wars at all- minor or otherwise. "Well either way, glad it worked out though."

His sister nodded, but then Eathon stepped up beside them. "Cathy" he greeted, holding- a Holotome in his hands, covered by clear plastic wrap. "Your going-away present."

As recognition set in, her eyes widened a bit, surprised.

"That one looks new" Lok slowly said, interested.

"It is, Lok" dad acknowledged, looking down at it. "Were it possible, I would've preferred giving my old one to you, Cath. But even before it stopped working, it's days were numbered..."

He remembered; dad's Holotome had slowed down considerably, in scanning, voice speed, and numerous other functions when they'd found him in the Spirit World. Depending on how long dad had it with him, it could be anywhere from a decade old at least, to two decades at most - the magic no doubt helped, but even it couldn't keep the technology from eventually giving out.

"-so this will have to do" Eathon continued. "With it, you can talk to me and your mother at any time, even if that's all you do with it."

At that, Cathy pretty much took it with all speed; she was close to beaming. "Thanks for this, dad."

Dad rubbed at the back of his head, but returning the smile. "My pleasure" he responded sincerely; Lok knew he meant that in several ways, but couldn't deny feeling the same over here.

Cathy hugged it to her chest for a bit, then looked at him. "I'll probably need a crash course though, bro" she said, a little knowing. "And your contact number, or whatever this thing takes."

Lok chuckled. "You know it, Cath" he said easily. "But I'll do it at the airport, while we're waiting for you to get on the plane; we're still packing here."

"Fair enough."

Sandra chose that moment to come back downstairs, holding a suitcase in both hands as well. "Cathy, here's all your clothes" she said, putting it down beside the other bags. "And don't worry" she 'assured', "I haven't folded them neatly or anything, though it was a perfect opportunity to do so."

" _Mom!_ " Cathy exclaimed, in an almost-perfect mirror of how he usually said it- sure, she knew mom's joking, but she's still embarrassed. It didn't help when dad started laughing hard, mom to a sorta-lesser degree - Cath looked at him with exasperation, and he could only return the favor; parents. _But_ despite that, they didn't mind as much as they should've; dad's enjoying the moment, even laughing this hard about it. He's not a humorless man by any definition, but he always tended to be composed, so they made the most of it. Cathy slowly rubbed at her head, one of the few times he'd ever seen her do so-

-because she's sheepishly embarrassed, like he is for his sister's sake, though inwardly they're trying to enjoy it too, while it lasts.

/

 _Kerry Airport_

 _Later_

"So that's how it's done" Lok said easily, glancing behind/around them; no one gave them any interest. "Got it?"

Cathy looked at him, taking it from his hands. "I do, but I'm a little worried" she admitted, glancing around them. "Even if we're not near any people, you're discussing this in plain sight; is that safe?"

"Oh, yeah, it is" he said, knowing her confusion. "They're a mix of technology and magic" he continued, glancing around again. "At first glance, even when open, they can pass for a highly-customized laptop computer in a pinch. It's only when using it that you'll need privacy, at least to those who don't know about it."

For a moment, Cathy glanced at her small pack, which contained her amulets among other things. "Fair enough" she answered, looking down at her Holotome's workings. "So basically, I'll just need vocal commands, and maybe a few button presses. And definite privacy, since it might speak to me about what it can/can't do."

"Pretty much."

She hummed, then carefully slipped it in her bag, and then they went back to their nearby seats (having kept a careful eye on the smaller stuff). "So tell me something else, bro" she said, and when he went 'Hmm?', got a little knowing smile. "How did you and Sophie meet? Or better yet, get together?"

A little sheepish, Lok felt she must've been holding that one in for awhile, and he's not gonna get out of telling it. "Well... first I sat behind her in classes for years" he admitted, remembering all that vividly. "I had a crush, but she didn't notice me, then one day I asked if I could borrow her notes for help. Thinking I was a deadbeat or something-"

Cathy tried to suppress a giggle.

Lok knew that feeling; he'd chuckled upon hearing it himself. "-she was a bit dismissive, thinking I'd use her to cheat and take the easy way out" he continued, shrugging. "So, I offered to do her crossword, as part of a deal. 'Long' story short, I solved it, and she was completely disbelieving."

"I'll bet" his sister said, still trying to suppress laughter. "And then some time after this, you were introduced to the world of Huntik?" she asked, a little more serious.

"Very shortly after that" he admitted, a bit fainter. "And more like thrown into it, but yeah."

Little flickers in her expression, but Cathy touched his shoulder- he appreciated it.

"But then, adventures happened" Lok continued, lighter. "Me and Sophie grew closer, obviously. First it was just learning how to get along properly, then it was friends, then it was this kinda non-committed relationship for awhile, where we acted like it but didn't physically _do_ anything special-"

"Then Sophie changed that" Cathy replied, teasing. "Am I right?"

"Hardly" he countered, but glad; he saw her relief at moving on. "Sophie thought she'd have to explain it to me eventually, but I actually started things. Though it took a lot of thought-"

"I'll bet" she said, suddenly pulling him down a little, now having him in a makeshift non-serious headlock. "Seriously, you were never that good at romantic hints, stickbrain!"

"Hey, these things take time!"

Cathy started shaking, laughing- her focus on such allowed him to get out, exasperated but chuckling. Just as they came out of it, they heard the tail end of an overhead PA announcement, saying a flight was now boarding- specifically, Cathy's.

Lok slowly stood up. "I guess that's you, Cath" he said, helping gather her smaller things.

"Yeah" she breathed, glancing down the open door, where other passengers were boarding. "I wish I didn't have to though."

"It'll be fine" he assured, if feeling the same. "We'll keep in touch. But I'm gonna miss you."

To that, Cathy just hugged him, and they lingered for awhile.

"Well, I may not be that active now, but I'm still technically a Seeker" she said to him. "The experiences should grow on me in time, and maybe I'll change my mind after college, or earlier. Whether I do or don't though, I expect you to remain a great one, Lok, in my place."

He hummed. "You got it" Lok assured gently. "Best of luck to you."

"Thanks, and also-"

What Cathy said next was low, but he immediately understood- while Cathy looked around a little, making sure no one could see, he discreetly searched his own pockets. Eventually he pulled an amulet only an inch or two out; Shadow's - Cathy bent down a bit, touching her fingers to it... briefly, there was a low-level glow.

Cathy smiled. "Be good to my brother, okay?" she whispered. "For my sake, at least."

No answer, even when Cathy leaned up, but maybe it's just between them anyway. Cathy gave him a look, and Lok nodded, prepared to give Shadow the battles he desired, and take good care of him - maybe one day, if Cathy's 'change her mind' situation came to pass, she might want Shadow back.

No guarantee that'd happen of course, but he's prepared.

 _"Last call for boarding. Last call for boarding."_

That announcement caused Cathy to jolt again, but she was fine. "Bye, Lok" she whispered, that saying it all.

He smiled. "Bye, Cathy" he returned, before nodding. "Make sure to knock all those other geniuses down a peg. You're brainy enough to do it."

She laughed, even as she stepped backward. "Only if it's required" she teased back, waving; Lok returned the favor with his free hand, discreetly putting Shadow's amulet back. "I can't overdo it."

Just like that, Cathy gave a last look + nod (which he returned), one hand over where her Holotome was tucked away, then she disappeared into the passageway, which closed behind her. Letting out a breath, Lok remembered how it'd been early on, both them re-adjusting to the reality of dad being home... and in Cathy's case, needing to let out her raw emotions. She'd tried to keep them in check, but once she _really_ got going, then it all tended to spill out- and all they could do was listen, though Lok did his best to do the same, as per Cathy's advice. Dad never blamed either of them for that, nor complained, taking their comments like his life depended upon it - and he wasn't above crying when they did.

Those first weeks had been an emotional roller-coaster, worse for Cathy than him, yet he'd had his own share of 'flashbacks'... but their family is strong.

 _"As is Cathy"_ Lok thought, glad for that. _"If she hadn't had big battles forced upon her without rest, I think she would've gotten used to things. Yet because they happened, she needs some time first."_

Out loud, after some time: "But for now, I gotta get back home" he breathed, slowly turning to go - had to enjoy the remaining time he's gonna be in Ireland.

Fairly soon, he'd have his own plane to catch, with his team and his girlfriend waiting for him.

* * *

 **Not completely over things, either of them, but they're on the road of recovery, due in no small part to finally having Eathon back**


	5. Den

****Disclaimer:** ** Don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers, nor any of it's characters.

 ** **Rating:** ** T

 **As the summary said, basically a follow-up to my Huntik Book. Enjoy**

* * *

 _Venice, Italy_

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _Afternoon_

"Mmh..."

Den glanced at his hand, where he held Tyranno's amulet, then back at the ceiling. "No, I don't think so" he said with a sigh, turning to the others. "Tyrannos is just too big. Sure, the main part of his body could fit, but he'd constantly have to have his head down- and he'd be completely restricted in mobility."

"In which case, we'd have to take it outside, somewhere where the world isn't watching" Zhalia mused, looking at her own amulet of Lernaean Hydra. "Or otherwise, we'd have to go to Huntik."

"But we can't" came from Cherit, sitting on a nearby table in the training room, a little sad. "There's only four of us here, and it's not a certainty that I can handle the energy demands, period."

Near him, Sophie touched his back. "If you keep getting stronger, then perhaps one day" she said, which Cherit brightened at a little. "But in either case, Den's right" she continued, standing up. "With only three people, making a portal is out of the question, least for us - I still have yet to test if Timaeus can do so solo, as Eathon suggested. But besides that, Lok is due back soon; we'll need to get to the airport within the next hour."

Privately, Den could hear the excitement/anticipation, and resisted a knowing smirk- he didn't have to look to know Zhalia's likely doing the same. Though he also admitted, he's surprised Zhalia hadn't been even a little sad to see Dante go, publicly or otherwise- sure, he couldn't be on vacation forever, and he's an important member of the Huntik Council, but still.

Then again, she certainly wasn't like them, he thought... maybe she's secretly content with what they'd done, for all he knew.

Maybe.

"And then we'll soon be busy again" Cherit continued, drawing him back. "But if we're out in the field, that might give you the practice you want."

"If places are big enough" Zhalia added, a little light. "It's hard to train Critas inside a building, or inside certain underground environments."

"Nor can Hermos" Den added, shrugging with a little smile. "They're not 'Colossal'-sized, but they get pretty close."

"Indeed" Cherit said, quite sincere. "And they're-"

Zhalia suddenly grunted, clutching at her left arm- where her Blood Spiral mark was visibly glowing. _"Curselock"_ she grimly cast, twitching a bit as the energies worked their magic. Den sympathized despite the suddenness; it might disable their marks, but that magic left much to be desired. Sure, the Huntik Foundation had managed to figure improvements on the base spell's duration, with them learning at every step, but it's irritating to deal with. Still, twenty-four to twenty-eight hours was a bunch better than ten to sixteen...

"Yet again" Zhalia nearly muttered, before she looked up. "I wonder if the researcher teams have a few ideas about alternatives."

"What alternatives, Zhalia?"

"Not sure yet."

Then Zhalia started moving. "Go ahead and train without me for now; I'll talk to Dante, and get in touch with the researcher teams" she stated, going up the stairs. "I'll hear what they've got to say, then see if I can bounce a few ideas off them."

"I'll go with you!" Cherit spoke, flying after her, disappearing at the top of the stairs. "It could be very interesting!"

Den had to admit that's true; down here, training was roughly the same as usual, whereas these ideas might change how long Curselock functions- or something, he hoped. When he looked over though, Sophie was shaking her head, as if disapproving of Zhalia leaving them to do this alone- it didn't last long, as she soon knowingly smiled with a subtle interest, yet still.

"Well, since we can't train Tyrannos as planned, how about a little training of my choice?"

Den thought he knew what she had in mind. "Your Phoenixthrust?"

"Precisely" Sophie stated.

"Right. Just give me two minutes."

...

Honestly, he thought he looked a little ridiculous in all this getup... but without it, he couldn't do close combat against Sophie's new spell. He'd heard all the reports about it being boiling hot, and watching this in action had convinced him that's the case; steaming equipment generally did that. Sophie came at him hard and fast as expected, weaving her punches and kicks together, yet lucky she's wearing a white Gi. Meanwhile, he blocked and docked when necessary, but certainly not at his fastest or most nimble in this gear...

Den docked under a blow, but this allowed her to slam her other palm into his chest- he skidded backward a bit, then caught her next two hooks. He was about to spin her around by the wrist, but soon as he tried, the energy faded from her hands/feet, making him stop halfway.

"Mmh" Sophie breathed, slowly disengaging from him. "Compared to some spells, it lasts considerably longer, but still short at only thirty seconds."

Den made a sound. "To an enemy, even a second or two of that spell would be terrifying" he pointed out, before rubbing at a spot on his neck, covered as it was. "I still remember your briefly clipping me with the spell, even if it was a complete accident."

She looked up at that, apologetic.

"It's fine" he added. "Also, aside from getting used to that spell, you've already got the martial arts moves down pat, Sophie."

A little smirk for a moment. "Perhaps, but I can't let myself get soft" Sophie stated, one hand on her hip. "Yet perhaps you had something else in mind for training, Den?"

"Sorta" he said, before getting a little teasing. "But first, can you help me get out of this straight-jacket?"

Her eyes briefly rose to the ceiling, amused - one removal session later though, he felt much better, then reached into his pocket.

Sophie's expression changed a little upon seeing Medusa's amulet. "You want a little advice?" she asked, glancing at him carefully.

Den shrugged. "Pretty much" he said, figuring he's missing something, regarding how he's supposed to approach this. "I mean, I could go through the whole process of negative emotions, but I'd rather not if possible. And also..."

Sophie's brow furrowed as he trailed off, seeing him suddenly in thought. "Den?"

A few seconds passed.

He slowly tapped his own forehead. "Gah, I'm so stupid" he muttered, which he's pretty sure Sophie heard, but he didn't care. "Legends. Sophie, what's the full legend of Medusa?" he continued. "In the myth, I know she was transformed by one of the gods, but I can't remember why."

Her expression cleared. "Well, there's basically two versions, both having been used in later adaptions" Sophie stated, hand to her chin. "One, that she was simply a daughter of two primordial gods, born as a hideous gorgon. Another was that Poseidon, in his + the gods' many affairs (she said that with underlying disgust), made love to her in Athena's temple... who didn't appreciate that one bit."

"So Athena transformed her" Den translated, looking at the amulet. "Whether that 'love' was willing or not - _don't_ tell me which - that must've pissed Medusa off to no small degree. And since this is Greek mythology, she'd want revenge, yet if she can't inflict it on the gods... she'd do it on anything she could get her hands on."

"That's the general idea."

So going by this theory, if he wanted Medusa to bond with him, he'd have to radiate feelings of revenge, a cycle of hatred, or similar... like Harrison had been. Already he felt himself starting to tense, wanting nothing more than to reject this out-of-hand, but other parts knew it's not that simple...

Trying to distract himself: "How did I not think of this before, though?" Den asked, breathing a little heavier. "I mean, I've known for a little while that Titans are generally based off myths, aside from those that never migrated. Why didn't I think about her legend sooner?"

"At first, you were busy" Sophie said faintly, walking closer to him - her expression made it clear she knew _exactly_ what he's thinking; he wasn't really surprised.

"Sure, the whole visiting-the-Spirit-World angle, which is/still is a big thing" he continued, shaking his head. "But after that I had plenty of time, yet it took me about a month-and-a-half to remember this. Really, that's just embarrassing of me-"

Her shoulder grip was a bit more forceful than necessary, but got his attention.

"Don't beat yourself up over this, Den" she stated in a firm-but-not-unfriendly tone.

After a moment, Den remembered; Cherit helping him come to the realization that he hated failure, at least partly because of his own failure to initially stop Harrison. As a direct result, he's hard on himself for mistakes, not living up to expectations, or anything similar... after a moment, he shook his head, trying to clear it...

 _"I am my own Seeker. I am good, but there's always more to learn."_

He eased, a little bit at the familiar mantra.

"You're right, Sophie" Den said, a little shaky at first, but worked to get over it. "People can make mistakes, and they're just as capable as moments where these things happen. I'm no exception, and I will never be. But they can also help make us better by learning from them."

Her expression grew lighter with approval. " _That's_ more like that" Sophie stated, arms crossed in that friendly way.

Yeah, heh; no doubt.

Den knew it wasn't gonna be easy though - this wasn't one of those instant-change things. And more than that, he faced the entirely-unpleasant challenge of having to try specific negative emotions with Medusa, based upon how Harrison acted while part of the Blood Spirals... something he pretty much despised...

 _"No; I can't think like that"_ he thought to himself, a little forceful. _"I can't just reject it out-of-hand, not_ right _away. I need to at least tr... wait, Harrison!"_

As soon as he thought this, there was a beeping sound, coming from Sophie- who quickly checked something. "4:30" Sophie stated, looking at him. "That gives us forty-five minutes till Lok's plane lands, or is scheduled to."

It took Den a moment, but he nodded. "Then I guess we better start getting ready" he said, still a bit focused on his idea, but it'd have to wait.

/

 _Minutes later_

"Shouldn't you have gone with them, Zhalia?" Cherit asked, a bit curious. "I know why _I_ couldn't, yet still."

"Eh, Lok knows me; not much of a hugger" she answered, mild - on her Holotome, all publicly-released data regarding Curselock improvements were listed on a file. "I can say it's been awhile, playfully punch him on the arm as a friend would, and all that stuff from here. Plus I'm sure he'll understand when I state my 'good reason'."

"True enough" he answered, considering the information he saw listed. "You think the researchers can do it?"

She leaned back a bit, hand going to her left arm- her Blood Spiral mark.

"I hope so, Cherit" Zhalia breathed, sighing. "I feel the same as Den does; this near-daily requirement to Curselock ourselves is getting old."

Even though he isn't subject to that mark - heaven forbid _that_ happen! - he agreed wholeheartedly; it looks not unlike a focused electric shock, thankfully of a low enough level that it causes pain, but no actual damage. Add to that it happening daily, and it would quickly become unbearable- even with most of the Blood Spirals currently incarcerated, it's best not to have them listening to anything they say, but that's hardly a comfort.

"They'll get it, and probably soon" Cherit said, trying to cheer her up, as much as Zhalia would show anyway. "After all, it's a top priority spell."

Her lip curved a bit. "As is Nexual, even now" she admitted, arms crossed, before chuckling. "But I still think it needs a more original name."

He laughed, thinking it's peculiar how humans sometimes have preferences for the little things, such as 'original' names. "Despite it's rocky energy demands, it works though" he said, excited. "After so very long, we know have the means to visit Huntik whenever want, almost!"

Zhalia said nothing, but her look was supportive.

"Being surrounded by home again, my entire being stirs with energy, and I feel younger" he continued, grinning a bit. "And more than that, my memories are starting to clear, a little!"

Interested, her eyebrow rose. "Anything important?" she asked. "And why haven't you mentioned that before?"

"I thought it might be temporary, but now I am positive, Zhalia" he stated, even more cheerful. "Huntik is a place of energy, and it seeps into all processes- it's a natural stimulant, if always low-level. I believe memory is included in that, but thus far, there hasn't been much gained."

"Hmm" Zhalia considered. "Then answer me this, while the researchers are still expecting me to report back: if Huntik is a place of energy, how did Titans come to be solid creatures?"

"Well, we Titans do take on a form of our choosing, but it takes quite a lot of energy to concentrate our form so it doesn't change" Cherit answered, before tapping his chin several times, thinking. "As for how we _truly_ began... my mind's still hazy, going that far back."

Zhalia made a sound. "Can't say I didn't try" she said to herself, a little mild, before tilting her head. "But this 'concentration' effort; is it permanent?"

"...I don't believe so" he said, before smiling. "No, I'm certain; we're all capable of altering our forms, even if not freely. We change upon Powerbonding after all, and I believe if some chose, it may be possible to change themselves overall. Not easily, as each change would take a lot of energy as well as time, yet still."

"Like a dinosaur going from an accurate-period-representation to a media-representation?"

He was surprised then. "Tyrannos?" he asked, curious; her mouth curved in a smirk. "I think so. I don't know if it's true, or if so how much of it is truth, but I believe it's possible."

"'Possible' is good enough for me, Cherit" Zhalia said, further mild, working the Holotome with what seemed to be satisfaction. "Let the experts go over the intricacies, and we'll handle the field applications."

"Indeed."

Speaking of which, he couldn't wait till the next time the team went to Huntik; not only would he tag along, but he'd have plenty of opportunity to tell them more about it. For starters, their initial visit had showed a lot of mundane(-by-Earth-standards) sights, even if the colors + constant changing aspect were new to them. Meanwhile, he's recently seen things like a floating island landmass, upside-down yet teeming with life than clung to it's underside - including a few flying Titans that liked to hang from there. In a dimension where things are constantly changing, and the place changing with your desires (given much effort), there's no end to what you might find next.

Though, the question that remained about that landmass; how was it floating in the first place? And also a general question, but what's stirring up his brethren on Earth, exactly?

Said thoughts had to wait though; Dante's image reappeared on Zhalia's Holotome.

 _"Well, well"_ he mused, smirking a bit. _"To what do I owe this pleasure, Zhalia?"_

He had to contain his grin, while Zhalia just rolled her eyes. "That worked the first time I called you, Dante" she told him, lightly shaking her head. "Here it's just misplaced, even if that's the joke."

 _"Well, I thought it was a good one-off for the occasion."_

" _Of course_ you would."

Dante chuckled. _"And now that that's out of the way, onto the apparent business"_ he said, still light, but sincere. _"What've you got?"_

"A lot of things, Dante" Cherit said easily, moving closer. "Including quite a few about Titans in general."

"Good thing Dante's all ears" Zhalia snarked.

Dante himself raised an eyebrow, but chuckled.

/

 _Treviso Airport_

 _Somewhat later_

Den knew Sophie would be glad to see Lok, and that it'd probably get a little public (as it did), but that didn't make the small jealousy go away. It's like they're rubbing it in his face... luckily, he knew _much_ better than that, and he's not gonna dwell on that angle anyway.

"Sophie, you look great."

"Is that all you have to say, Lok?"

"No, but we're in public, so- hehe."

"Fair enough."

Turned away from the 'spectacle', Den tried and failed to keep a smirk down- yeah, because he's here, all their affections need to be public-level. Far sooner than he'd expected though, a hand on his shoulder turned him around... Lok and Sophie stood close by, hands entwined (of course). "Hey, Den" Lok greeted, a little sheepish. "Sorry if this is a little awkward for you."

Raising an eyebrow, Den just chuckled. "Nah, I expected this, Lok" he said, shrugging. "You and Sophie missed each other, this (their hand-holding) is the proof, and you're gonna be scarce for a few days, outside what's required."

Sophie gave him a slight look. "'Scarce' is a bit overstated, Den" she said - but her look undercut by the gleam in her eyes. "We're not gonna disappear."

Den saw Lok's little side-smile in his peripheral vision (clearly he'd missed her ways), but gave his own little smirk. "No?" he teased.

" _No._ "

"Anyway" Lok cut in, a bit sheepish but still smiling. "What's new, Den?"

After a moment, Den looked over, crossing his arms. "A bunch" he said, glancing at Sophie. "I can tell you on the way back, where we're not as much in public."

"Works for me" Lok said easily, stretching his free arm. "I've been sitting on that plane for hours; I could use the exercise."

...

"Seriously?"

"Yeah" Den explained, arms crossed as he walked. "If Sophie's right, and she usually is, this new approach might make Medusa come around to me. Though I have yet to try it, or anything."

"How flattering" Sophie stated, on Lok's opposite side still- she sounded pleased.

Lok gave her a side-glance, before looking back. "Well hey, Den, that's still great" he said, sincere. "I know how hard it must be, but I know you can do it. I might even be able to help-"

"-because of Lindorm" Den finished for him, smirking a little... though this was partly a defense, a distraction to his inward reactions about the 'approach'. "Yeah, we've already established that back at the Townhouse."

"Even still" Lok added. "Stop me if I'm wrong, but have you gotten a bunch of sunglasses, to prevent her stone vision from working?" he continued, and after Den told him they had dozens: "Cool. If we can put them over our Titan's eyes, they could protected as well, allowing them to stay and keep her subdued if necessary."

Sophie lightly pulled his arm, to Lok's surprise. "That's easier said than done, Lok" she said mildly, free hand on her hip. "Our supply of sunglasses are basically one-size, and Titans aren't nearly equal in such. Plus if they're loose, one bad movement or an attack would knock them off, and then they'd have to return."

"I know that, Sophie" Lok answered, shrugging. "I didn't say it would be perfect."

Den made a sound. "He's got you there" he said, though he missed Sophie's reaction because of his half-inward thoughts. "Medusa was never gonna be easy, and while we might have a way now, that isn't gonna change just because we can delay her petrification ability."

"You're never gonna know that until you try, Den" Sophie told him, bringing him back; she had a small look, but supportive. "True, you were already gonna try despite the difficulties, but still."

"Yeah, of course" Den answered. "But even with your guys' support, it isn't gonna be easy."

Lok put a hand on his shoulder. "You'll still have it, Den" he said simply. "Me, Sophie, Zhalia, Cherit, and Dante."

Den nodded after a moment. "Well, in New York or here, he'll always find a way to keep in touch."

"Wait, Dante was here?" Lok asked, a bit surprised.

"Quite; you just missed him actually" Sophie responded, fairly playful, adding onto it with a little cheek kiss (Den tried to look anywhere else). "He said it was because he'd accumulated too much vacation time, but no one was fooled. He was here for Zhalia, who didn't mind one bit."

Briefly touching his cheek, Lok was a bit sheepish, but otherwise cool with things. "Well it sucks that I missed him, but because I'm back with the team, we'll probably start getting missions soon" he said, smiling. "Then Dante will have to assign them, so we'll keep in touch."

They said nothing, but they didn't have to anyway.

"Anything else?"

"Well, I did get a report on the Nullifiers" Sophie said, before looking at him. "However, that's best read over once we're back. Frankly, I'm more concerned about Cathy."

"Same here" Den added. "How is she?"

"Oh, much better, and I'm sure she'll appreciate your concern-"

...

 _Casterwill Townhouse_

 _A little later_

After getting inside, if still talking, they found Zhalia in the briefing room, working her Holotome with Cherit on her shoulder - both looked up at different times.

"Well, look who's back" Zhalia snarked, lip curving. "And already being clung to by Sophie."

Beside Zhalia, Cherit just grinned, both glad to see Lok too + clearly enjoying her tease; Den rubbed his head, trying to hide a smirk, knowing she's playing that up; Sophie rolled her eyes, seeing as the only part of her 'clinging' to Lok was her hand in his; Lok glanced at his + Sophie's joined hands, sheepish, but choosing to chuckle.

"Great to see you too, Zhalia" he said, smiling yet a bit teasing. "Still, what's this good reason that made you not come to the airport?"

"Zhalia had ideas she wanted to bounce off the Foundation's researchers" Cherit said cheerfully, clearly enjoying everything. "Regarding the status of Curselock, and how to make it better."

"Really?" Lok questioned, interested.

"So it would seem" Sophie told him; he briefly glanced at her. "Now we'll see if she'll grace us with the details."

Den nearly cracked; oh Sophie, returning fire for the clinging comment (this clearly wasn't lost on Lok either).

Zhalia smirked for a moment. "Well, we all know how Curselock functions; what I proposed was that if possible, a way to make a permanent seal needed to be found" she started, getting straight to the answer. "The spell itself does the job already, but temporarily- perhaps with a bunch more energy, and a constant small-level drain, it might keep the seal at full strength twenty-four/seven."

Really interested, Den stepped forward. "Seriously?" he asked; Zhalia nodded, and he almost pumped his fists. "Well if they can do it, the faster the better!"

"Agreed" Lok, well, agreed as he stepped closer. "And not just for you two; my dad, as well as Harrision, you'd all be be free of this daily application" he continued. "And probably, making it much easier on the Blood Spiral prisoners too. You know, if it works out."

"Yeah" Zhalia added simply. "For now it's still an idea, and a theory being researched- results will come later."

Sophie followed behind Lok, though she didn't retake his hand. "Is that all then?"

"Not at all, Sophie" Cherit answered, flying up to Zhalia's shoulder, who adjusted. "I have news of my own to share" he continued cheerfully, Zhalia having a knowing look. "In the time I've spent in Huntik, the dimension's energies have stimulated my body and mind, slowly clearly the haze from my mind. I'm beginning to remember things bit-by-bit, even if it will take a long time to get them all."

Really surprised, Den stared at Cherit- he's remembering more? Almost immediately after the shock though, he thought this was great; even though Cherit's a naturally-happy little guy, he always wanted to remember more about his past, his dimension, and so forth. A glance showed similar reactions on Lok and Sophie, though he quickly noticed Zhalia's had changed little - probably because she'd heard this first. He felt an urge to laugh then, but suppressed it, because this is a relatively 'big' moment and it'd need to wait.

"Wow, that's-" Lok started, before he noticed the bit about Zhalia's reaction. "Wait, why aren't you aren't surprised?"

Zhalia's lip curved. "I heard it firsthand, unlike all of you" she merely said, shrugging. "According to Cherit, he believes Huntik's energy is a natural stimulant that way- at least, when processes are at full energy. Just like the seeping-into aspect at low energy though, it's quite slow-going."

Cherit nodded. "But even still, I'm remembering a bit more about my race" he continued, to general interest. "A number of things that Zhalia added to her 'idea bouncing', and to be analyzed by the Foundation."

"Tell me you at least saved a copy" Sophie said, hands on her hips. "I'd be very interested in reading all this for myself."

Without looking or missing a beat, Zhalia reached down and scooped up her Holotome. "Knock yourself out, Sophie" she answered, Sophie taking it. "I figured you'd insist."

Having stepped back, Den was a bit sheepish, knowing that's Sophie - beside him, Lok wasn't surprised either, having a little smile as he watched Sophie. "If we have our hands full already, missions are gonna make it even more hectic" Lok admitted. "I've got a bunch to catch up on too."

"You'll do great, Lok" Den answered. "Though... honestly, neither me or Zhalia expect you to fully 'come back' and hang out with us just yet" he continued, a bit teasing. "Sophie's really missed you, and she isn't gonna let you go, once this distraction is over."

Lok rubbed at his head. "Well I've missed her too, so can't say I'm surprised" he admitted, glancing over. "Still, I can't focus entirely on her over work, as she wouldn't appreciate that. It's all about balancing."

 _"Hmm... well, I guess they'd know"_ Den thought to himself. _"I'm happy for them, but I'll be glad once they're over that brief 'welcome-back' phase too. I'm gonna need all their help later, regarding my attempts to get Medusa to bond with me. But before that, I'll need to consider talking to Harrison."_

* * *

 **Like I said, only five parts, and written as an aftermath situation - how things are, how they're trying to make them, and otherwise adjusting. Loose ends may have been tied up, but new threads can explored easily.**

 **As such, it's a good setup for any potential second Huntik Book from me. I don't know when, how long it'll take, or exactly what story developments it'll tackle, but I do intend to make another at some point... just hoping it doesn't take two years like the last one, because half of that was writer's block hehe.**


End file.
